APC chieftain predicts 2027 presidential run-off, warns against violence
APC founding member Osita Okechukwu predicts a likely run-off in the 2027 presidential election, telling Channels Television's Inside Sources on Friday that anyone assuring President Tinubu of a first-round victory "is not being too sincere." Okechukwu, who served as Director General of Voice of Nigeria, draws on 48 years in politics from PRP through SDP to APC to support his analysis.
He directly appeals to leading opposition figures — ADC candidate Atiku Abubakar and NDC candidate Peter Obi — to reject violence, warning that "the drum of violence" he hears echoes the mid-1960s collapse into civil war. His comments come as political positioning for 2027 intensifies, with recent exchanges between Tinubu allies and opposition figures escalating.
Okechukwu's insider perspective carries weight: he was part of the coalition that brought Buhari to power in 2015 and has navigated every major party transition since 1978. A run-off would require no candidate securing 25% of votes in two-thirds of states plus a majority nationally — a threshold that has historically forced coalition-building.
With Tinubu's administration midway through its first term and opposition figures already declared, the 2027 contest is shaping up as a multi-horse race. Will opposition unity hold if a run-off forces strategic alliances, or will fragmentation hand the incumbent an advantage?