Former Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council spokesman Kenneth Okonkwo is a part of the newly established coalition. In this interview, CHIBUIKE CHUKWU discusses the measures being taken to guarantee President Bola Tinubu’s defeat in 2027 after he claimed that the administration led by the All Progressives Congress (APC) had subjected Nigerians to “extreme hardship.” Excerpts:
Could you provide more details on your statement that Tinubu’s government will terminate with the arrival of the ADC coalition party?
As you are aware, the APC’s current strategy is to undermine all opposition parties in order to prevent Tinubu from having a powerful platform that might be used against him in 2027. However, as you are aware, the APC is composed of men who lack plan and brains. Since it has been an inept and corrupt party, all they know is how to use money to buy people and buy places. That’s the reason I indicated this was a surprise that they didn’t expect. The opposition would never be able to unite, they were forecasting. Now that everyone in the opposition has united, they are certain that their predictions and their knowledge or opinions about the opposition are not accurate. Nigerians are suffering, as both you and I are aware. Nigerians have never experienced such a degree of pain. I’ll give you an example. In order to begin constructing the ADC’s structures, I wanted to go to Enugu State. And I said, “Look, I’m going to spend two days,” to my protocol officer. “I should have to keep N800,000,” he added. Too much for the trip. Upon closer inspection, the one-way flight costs about N250,000. They may tell you 100,000 per night as you walk into any hotel, even if it seems reasonable. Is the money still there if you look at the food, airport tax, and everything else? Is it gone? For example, tell me who will pay N800,000 to vote for Tinubu at home in 2027. However, despite all of their suffering, adversity, starvation, and the dehumanization and degradation this APC has inflicted upon them, Nigerians would be powerless without an alternative platform. That’s why I’m saying Tinubu is no longer there because they have a strong alternative.
I am aware of the work you and other attorneys did to ensure that the Appeal Court, which reports to the Supreme Court, gave careful consideration to the claims of election tampering in the most recent general election. Does the fact that the same Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will preside over the 2027 election and that the same court will handle any subsequent disputes upset the members of the ADC coalition? What gives ADC the assurance that, in the absence of appropriate electoral changes, Nigerians’ ballots would count in 2027?
Well, that’s a good question. This is the reason I first supported the coalition. As you may remember, I was called a lot of names when I first brought up coalition. Many people called me derogatory names when I said that any new candidate would serve one term. They’ve keyed into it now, though. For what reason did I mention coalition? You can envisage Tinubu as an incumbent if he was able to overrun the system when he was out of power. Since you are certain that they will rig if given the chance, how can you go up against such an incumbent and remain ununified? This is because, as of right now, no one has satisfactorily described what a technological issue is. Additionally, since no one has given my sahis an explanation This is how I personally define a technological glitch: To offer you the chance to create your own results and force them on others, halt the electronic transfer and transmission of results so that no one will be aware of them. My personal definition of a technological malfunction is that. INEC purposefully delayed the results’ announcement and transmission in order to falsify the results. Nothing else appears to be a technical issue. Because it will be similar to the JAMB if there is a technological fault. The man emerged when JAMB experienced a technical issue. “Yes, look at the location, look at the area,” he added. Take a look at the affected centers. In those locations, we will retake the test. Was there an election that INEC repeated? No, because there wasn’t a technical issue at all. President Goodluck Jonatha made the statement that if a man is truly asleep, he will awaken if you stir him up. However, you will never be able to wake a man who is acting like he is asleep, no matter what you do. No matter what you try, they will never tell you which polling stations were impacted since the technological issue was a ruse. They will never tell you that such polling places should have another election. Why? therefore it is untrue. No technical issue occurred. However, you saw how they explained the technological problem in JAMB. Oloyede was crying. Did Mahmood Yakubu’s eyes appear to be wet? Instead, Yakubu advised going to court. After listing the locations where the glitch occurred, Oloyede retook the test and continued. Because of what I said, let’s band together to combat these individuals and the rigging. Have the electoral laws been changed to take into account what transpired? They haven’t, at least not yet. Additionally, they will start citing international legislation that states you should not make changes after six months. You see, a big scheme to rig the election already exists. However, the opposition cannot stop them if they unite with the plight of Nigerians. People will always have more power than those in positions of authority. Did we not live in Nigeria when Goodluck Jonathan was in power? Jonathan lost. Even though that election wasn’t flawless at the time, he lost. According to someone, Tinubu is not Jonathan. Jonathan’s Nigerians are not Tinubu’s Nigerians.
Given that both Atiku and Obi have run for president and that Amaechi has previously done so, political analysts have voiced concern that personal goals could destroy the coalition. How can we be sure that this kind of worry is unfounded?
Very important query. Politics and elections are about ambition. Therefore, stay out of politics if you’re afraid of elections and ambition. It’s typical. I warned people that the coalition posed a threat even before it was formed. However, I can’t promise that we won’t have disagreements as our distinct ambitions start to emerge. Therefore, each candidate or aspirant will work to establish the party in their locality. Make sure that your supporters join the party so that you can run for office in the primary election. You must have known that all the others would be on your side. We oppose zoning the tickets to any region in Nigeria, hence I’m not in favor of it. Unlike the dominant party, the opposition does not enjoy the same luxury. The incumbent party is in power. Oh, let the South finish its years, they’ll try to convince you. That is the worst kind of deception. First and foremost, presidents serve four-year terms rather than eight-year ones. This four-year period was first established in 1999, when it was agreed that each geopolitical zone would last for just four years before moving on to another, resulting in a 24-year decline in geopolitical zones. Because of this, Alex Ekwueme ran against Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003, claiming that they had a four-year deal. With the authority of incumbency, Obasanjo now said no, stating that he has programs and will serve his eight-year term. That’s how the eight-year deal for the north and eight-year agreement for the south came about. But take a look at what transpired. Yar’Adua took office in 2007 and passed away while in office. We have eight years, so let’s finish them, the north said. Others disagreed, arguing that you cannot claim that you would finish the project in the allotted eight years if something happens along the way that goes beyond that time frame. Instead, you can divide it up between the north and the south for four years to finish it. They did this after learning that the constitution stipulates that in the event of the president’s death, the vice president will assume the presidency. It was argued that it was now a joint ticket when Goodluck took over. Allow Jonathan to complete the Yar’Adua-Jonathan joint ticket. Jonathan was a southerner. No one demanded that the north must remain unbroken for eight years. The North now united and held a primary among themselves, claiming that it was their turn. Babangida, Atiku, Gusau, and Saraki were all involved. They then decided on Atiku. The South, however, disagreed. They entered primary school with Jonathan Goodluck. They went to Jonathan. Jonathan defeated Buhari when he ran in 2011. In the north and the south, tenure was completed in this manner for four years. Goodluck Jonathan wanted to run again even after those four years in the South, but the North refused, saying that here is where injustice will occur and that they wouldn’t accept. They got rid of Jonathan that way. Additionally, it had been shared between the north and south for four years until Jonathan was removed. After that, it went back to the eight years, and Tinubu’s rule has now gotten worse. The intervening event that has occurred is that. Either you allow Tinubu to complete his eight years, or you immediately declare that the final four years should be made available to any other individual or party so that they can do their best to challenge Tinubu. Any winner, north or south, will now serve four years, allowing the north and south to share it for four years, as was the case under the administrations of Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan. After that, it will revert to the eight-year cycle. Therefore, there is nothing like saying “injustice” if we introduce a different candidate. No, as long as the northerner serves four years, it isn’t unfair. Furthermore, no one has been successful in defeating an incumbent by running a new candidate from the same area as him since 1999. In 2019, they employed Atiku against Buhari; however, Atiku failed because they wanted to put in another Northerner after Buhari had served four years. Obi was therefore his choice for vice president at the time. However, they were unsuccessful. I opposed it because I believed that the Southeast would turn in 2023. However, they would have to spend a further eight years, or twelve years, if Atiku and Obi had arrived at that time. All of these individuals are arguing that they oppose a Northerner succeeding a Northerner, but wouldn’t that have happened if Obi and Atiku had won in 2019? “No,” I replied. Buhari for Ndigbo, 2023; Ndigbo for Buhari, 2019. I also wanted my people to be president, so that’s what I did in 2023. However, you can only be president if you have a solid plan. Do you believe Tinubu didn’t want to be president in 2015 after the APC won? He brought a Northerner, certain that the entire North would support him, after realizing that he would lose if he had run against Goodluck Jonathan. And he positioned himself correctly by using the Northerner to disturb Goodluck Jonathan. Tinubu therefore entered when the incumbent was no longer in office after the Northerner finished. Right now, I’m giving my people advice. They ought to rethink their plan. This time, no one will smash a coconut with a Ndigbo’s head. The Southwest has been successful as they haven’t run against an incumbent since 1999 since, in Nigeria, even if you win, they will take it away from you if you are a new candidate without the incumbent’s support. I think we won the 2023 election, but they took it away from us because the establishment didn’t support us. However, the actions of the southwest are strategic. Only when they are certain that the establishment will support them do they contest. They also triumph. And that’s the approach I wish to take. Elections have repercussions, and some people may complain about being marginalized if we don’t plan. No, we are not being marginalized by anyone. I’m bringing this strategy since we haven’t done it yet. Because there was no incumbent running and the incumbent was not supporting us, they stole our election, and Ndigbo have never had the same impact as they had in 2023. I’ve learned from that now. I want to plan for when the Ndigbo will arrive and the establishment will support them.
You seem to be saying that if you get your way, you would rather have a Northerner run for the ADC in 2027.
What I’m stating is personal, not the party’s stance. Now, if one candidate can win support from the entire north, as they did in the 2015 election, then whatever the candidate receives from the south will help them win. This is due to the fact that I fully support any plan that will eradicate Tinubu. Is there any region of Nigeria that you believe can produce someone who will go on to win Tinubu? It isn’t feasible. It will be challenging. Apart from the fact that God says it, it is nearly impossible. Therefore, if you claim to be running against an incumbent and you are from the South East or the South South, you are actually indirectly supporting Tinubu. It will be difficult if there is only a candidate from the South and no contender from the North.
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Since the coalition’s inception, the president has consistently attacked the formation; do you believe this is because of fear?
It’s a sign of low intelligence, as I mentioned. Low IQ because I would focus on governance and utilize it to persuade Nigerians if I were in their shoes. However, they are anxious because they have nothing to offer. Thus, they fear their own shadow. When no one follows him, the wicked, as they say, flee. ADC is apprehensive and has yet to release anything, including a manifesto. Why? since they are evil. According to the Bible, when no one pursues the wicked, they run away. They aren’t even being pursued by ADC.
However, what steps is ADC doing to find alleged APC moles?
I can assure you that there will be moles at the party. Since the political party is open to all Nigerians, I can assure you of that. Having your constitution is what you would do. Verify that, whether in private or in public, you are abiding by the provisions of your constitution. Therefore, if there is a mole among you, the mole will return and inform them that this party is serious and that their private statements mirror their public statements. After then, they are powerless to change it. The truth cannot be fought. I’m telling you the truth now because the Bible says you can’t fight the truth.
