As talks of a political coalition gain momentum ahead of the 2027 presidential election, former Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign spokesman, Kenneth Okonkwo, has stated that he will support a fresh southerner or northerner who is willing to serve only a single four-year tenure.
Naijaonpoint reports that Okonkwo, who recently dumped the Labour Party in February 2025, said his decision is anchored on equity and fairness, aligning with Nigeria’s unwritten rule of rotational presidency between the North and South.
Speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television, Okonkwo stressed the need for a unified opposition to unseat President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
The discussion around a broad opposition alliance was further fueled by the defection of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
El-Rufai has since been seen meeting with major opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Like El-Rufai, Okonkwo recently met with Atiku, advocating for a united front against the ruling party.
“My game plan is simple. If the opposition is serious about wresting power from this incompetent government, they must all come together and act like one because that was what APC did in 2013 and that was what helped them to wrest power in 2015,” Okonkwo said.
He insisted that forming a strong coalition would be the only viable strategy to remove the APC from power in 2027.
Okonkwo described the upcoming election as one of the most complicated political scenarios in Nigeria’s history.
“2027 is one of the most complicated and complex times in the political history of Nigeria because we have this gentleman’s agreement – eight years in the South, eight years in the North,” he explained.
He noted that a major dilemma would be whether to field a fresh southern candidate, which could spark resistance from the North, or to return power to the North, which could be seen as a betrayal of the South after just four years.
Okonkwo further stated, “Would you allow an incompetent government to continue just because you want to sacrifice the whole of Nigeria? Would you say let it go to the North when it has just been four years in the South? The South would say you are short-changing us. So, it is a very complicated thing.”
Calls For Single-Term Agreement To Balance Power
To resolve this dilemma, Okonkwo proposed that a single-term arrangement be agreed upon between both regions.
“The best thing, if politicians were to be trusted, is to have a free, fair primary where every qualified person, whether from the South or the North, would partake in it. And whoever emerges must agree to do just four years,” he suggested.
According to him, if a northern candidate wins, he should serve only four years before the presidency returns to the South. Similarly, if a southern candidate wins, he should complete the region’s eight-year cycle before handing over to the North for a full term.
He said, “If the North agrees that the person there now is not doing well, but it is not yet their turn, they can do four years before it returns to the South. That way, the power rotation remains fair, and the country avoids political instability.”
With coalition discussions intensifying, Okonkwo remains optimistic that opposition parties will find common ground to present a formidable challenge to the APC in 2027.