Professor Okey Ikechukwu, a leadership and human capital development scholar, has alleged that two South-East governors told him during the 2023 presidential election that their priority was ensuring President Bola Tinubu secured the constitutionally required 25 percent of the votes in their states rather than supporting Labour Party candidate Peter Obi.
Speaking in an interview aired on Channels Television on July 13, Ikechukwu said, “The two governors I spoke with told me plainly that they needed to deliver the 25% for the ruling party and move on, that they were not ready for Peter Obi.”
He argued that although the Labour Party enjoyed significant public support, it failed to adequately protect its electoral gains due to organisational weaknesses.
Ikechukwu said opposition parties must combine public support with strong grassroots structures, effective coordination, polling unit representation and the ability to defend their mandates during and after elections.
He urged opposition leaders to focus on building disciplined political organisations ahead of future elections, stressing that campaign popularity alone is insufficient to defeat an entrenched ruling party.
The governors referenced by Ikechukwu were not identified, and the claims were not independently verified in the interview.
