2027 Coalition Rift Deepens As Kenneth Okonkwo Blasts Peter Obi, Says Datti Suffers Political Trauma

• Okonkwo attacks Datti Baba-Ahmed: The ADC chieftain says Peter Obi’s former running mate may be battling a “post-political identity crisis” after the collapse of the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential movement.

• Obi accused of failed leadership: Okonkwo blames Obi for allegedly lacking the capacity to manage the Labour Party, saying the failure left many supporters and allies politically disillusioned.

• Fresh swipe over Makinde campaign launch: He dismisses Obi’s appearance at Governor Seyi Makinde’s presidential campaign office inauguration, describing it as an event that did not concern the ADC.

• Cracks widen ahead of 2027 race: The comments expose growing tensions among opposition figures as political realignments gather momentum ahead of the next presidential election.

September 08, () — A fresh war of words has erupted within Nigeria’s opposition political space after Kenneth Okonkwo, the spokesperson for African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, launched a scathing attack on Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his former running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.

Speaking during separate television interviews on Tuesday, Okonkwo alleged that Baba-Ahmed was suffering from what he termed a “post-political identity crisis” following the 2023 presidential election, while also accusing Obi of failing to provide the leadership needed to sustain the Labour Party movement.

The remarks came in response to Baba-Ahmed’s recent assertion that none of the leading figures being projected for the 2027 presidential election (including Obi) possesses the capacity to rescue Nigeria from its current challenges.

Appearing on Arise TV’s Daybreak, Okonkwo said he understood Baba-Ahmed’s criticism because both men participated in Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign and experienced the aftermath of what he described as the collapse of the Labour Party project.

According to him, supporters entered the 2023 campaign believing it would usher in “a new Nigeria”, but many were left disappointed after the election.

Okonkwo said the movement was unique because Nigerians volunteered resources and support without expecting personal rewards, insisting that what supporters demanded in return was leadership.

He argued that Obi failed to provide that leadership, describing the Labour Party crisis as evidence of “incompetence and incapacity” in managing the party’s internal affairs.

The former Labour Party chieftain added that the breakdown of the political movement left many of its members traumatised and disillusioned, claiming Baba-Ahmed himself had publicly admitted he could no longer work with Obi after the party’s internal crisis.

In another interview on News Central, Okonkwo also criticised Obi over his attendance at the inauguration of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s presidential campaign office in Abuja on Monday.

Explaining why the ADC leadership stayed away from the event, Okonkwo described the inauguration as an affair belonging to another political platform and not one requiring ADC participation.

He went further to mock Obi and other politicians present at the event, saying they were known for attending virtually any public gathering once invited and were always eager to wave at crowds.

Peter Obi, who attended the inauguration alongside several opposition figures, had praised Governor Makinde as qualified to contest the presidency in 2027.

Obi also urged political actors not to reduce the next presidential election to personal quarrels or regional divisions, insisting that the contest should centre on addressing Nigeria’s economic and governance challenges.