Politics in Nigeria has never been short of drama, but Kenneth Okonkwo just added more fuel to the fire. The lawyer and Nollywood star turned politician didn’t just throw shade, he declared outright that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) are dead. For him, it is ADC or nothing.
Okonkwo’s Harsh Verdict
Speaking on Channels TV, Okonkwo said the PDP and LP exist only on paper. According to him, their leaders have either surrendered to the ruling APC or joined hands with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which he now calls the true opposition. In his words, “Strictly speaking, there is no longer any party like the PDP or LP. They are just existing on paper.”
This is not a casual statement. Coming from someone who once stood as a mouthpiece for Peter Obi during the 2023 election, it hits differently. He’s not criticising outsiders, he’s tearing apart the very camp he once defended.
The Wike Factor
Okonkwo pointed at Nyesom Wike as proof of PDP’s collapse. Wike has openly backed the APC and even bragged about having the power to do as he pleases in Rivers State. For Okonkwo, if a top PDP figure can defy the party so openly, then the foundation is gone. What is left of PDP when its strong men campaign for another party’s candidate?
The same applies to LP, which Okonkwo dismissed as a party with no real structure. For him, dreaming of LP in 2027 is like building castles in the air.
Why ADC Thinks It Is Different
In Okonkwo’s view, ADC is not just another small party trying its luck. It is now the chosen platform of Nigeria’s opposition coalition. Heavyweights like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai have already aligned with it. That alone gives it weight that PDP and LP can no longer carry.
Okonkwo insists that ADC is ready to do things differently — by holding a proper primary election in 2027 and supporting whoever emerges against Tinubu. In his words, it will be the people versus APC, and the ADC will be the only alternative standing.
Tinubu’s Response: Political IDPs
Of course, the APC is not losing sleep. President Bola Tinubu has already mocked the coalition, describing its leaders as “political IDPs” — internally displaced politicians with no real base. For Tinubu, their unity is just a show that will collapse under its own weight. He told his supporters not to give them attention, because they are more likely to destroy themselves than defeat him.
What This Really Means
Okonkwo’s claim that it’s ADC or nothing is bold, but it also shows how fragmented Nigeria’s opposition has become. If PDP and LP are “finished,” as he says, then the only hope for unseating APC lies in whether ADC can actually hold its coalition together. History shows that Nigerian coalitions often break before the real fight begins. But for now, Okonkwo has drawn a line in the sand. PDP is gone, LP is gone, and in his eyes, ADC is the last card left on the table.
