Chief Akin Osuntokun was the Director-General of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2023 general elections. In this interview, Osuntokun, a former Political Adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, discusses why the opposition may struggle to rally behind a single candidate for the 2027 presidential election. He also speaks on internal tensions within the Labour Party and how some leaders, according to him, frustrated efforts to support the 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Excerpts:
You previously stated that the Labour Party was heading towards extinction due to internal saboteurs. Given the ongoing realignments and party movements, is the original third-force experiment officially dead?
Well, I did not defect to the ADC, so I am not a member of the ADC or any other party. When you refer to a “third force,” the assumption is that there are already two dominant parties of sufficient political weight. I know of the APC, but which other party are you referring to?
Peter Obi moved from the Labour Party to the ADC and now to the NDC within a short period. As his former campaign manager, do you worry that this rapid party-switching erodes his image as a principled alternative?
No. There are extenuating reasons for his departure from the ADC. First, the party is not prepared to zone its presidential ticket to the South. Given the dynamics that determine victory in party primaries in Nigeria, the only aspirant with a realistic chance of winning the ADC primaries is Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Second, there is uncertainty surrounding the future of the party, particularly legal issues. I hope that, for the sake of party stability in Nigeria, such issues will eventually be resolved in favour of the ADC.
I believe Peter Obi has been vindicated by the NDC’s clear declaration that it has zoned its presidential ticket to the South.
