Former Labour Party Spokesperson Kenneth Okonkwo has addressed reports claiming that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had offered ex-Labour Party Presidential candidate Peter Obi a one-term vice presidential position.
Speaking in an Arise TV interview 11:26, Okonkwo emphasized personal choice in political negotiations while advocating for open competition. “In politics, candidates have the choice to get into their own discussion and negotiation. But for me, my own take is that whoever believes that he’s qualified to be President should submit himself for a free and fair primary election,” Okonkwo stated. “That toughness that we’re going to face in the primary will determine the person that has the capacity to face the tough challenge in the general election.”
He distanced himself from backroom arrangements, adding: “I am not in the league of people trying to persuade anybody to step down for anybody. That should be the decision of the candidate himself, because I wouldn’t want anybody to come out and say ‘I’m leaving this coalition or this party because I was pressured to give up my ambition.'”
Sources close to Atiku’s campaign claim Obi has already agreed to serve as Atiku’s running mate in 2027 under a one-term arrangement. The two politicians previously partnered in the 2019 presidential election, with Obi serving as Atiku’s running mate under the People’s Democratic Party before they lost to Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress.
On March 20, Atiku, Obi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and other opposition figures announced a coalition in Abuja aimed at challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 election. Despite this alliance, leadership questions remain unresolved, as Obi, a southern presidential candidate who demonstrated significant electoral strength in the previous election, reportedly resists deferring to a northern candidate.
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