Kenneth Okonkwo has pointed to the political history of President Bola Tinubu and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi as he argued that both politicians had previously supported Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambitions.
Speaking during an interview ahead of the 2027 general election, Okonkwo compared the political relationships among Tinubu, Atiku and Obi, focusing on instances where they had supported one another’s presidential aspirations.
According to him, Tinubu backed Atiku’s presidential bid in 2007, while Obi supported Atiku when he contested the presidency in 2019.
Okonkwo said this would give Atiku an advantage if the three politicians were assessed based on their previous endorsements of one another.
He argued that neither Tinubu nor Atiku had similarly endorsed Obi for president, while Obi had also not endorsed Tinubu.
Beyond the issue of endorsements, Okonkwo spoke positively about Atiku’s record as Vice President between 1999 and 2007 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He credited Atiku with helping to bring experienced professionals into government, specifically mentioning former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former FCT Minister Nasir El-Rufai.
Okonkwo also praised the administration’s handling of the economy and security during that period, while noting Nigeria’s repayment of its foreign debts.
He described the 1999–2007 period as one of the strongest periods of governance the country had experienced, arguing that Nigeria’s international reputation also improved significantly during those years.
According to him, Nigeria moved from being viewed as a “pariah state” at the beginning of the period to enjoying much greater international recognition by 2007.
His comments come as political activities and alliances begin to intensify ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Atiku, Tinubu and Obi once again occupying prominent positions in Nigeria’s political debate.
