Professor Okey Ikechukwu, a scholar of leadership and human capital development, has claimed that two South-East governors told him during the 2023 presidential election that their priority was to secure the constitutionally required 25 percent of the votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) rather than support Labour Party candidate Peter Obi.
Speaking in an interview aired on Channels Television and published on the station’s official YouTube channel on Monday, July 13, 2026, Ikechukwu reflected on the 2023 presidential election and the factors he believes influenced its outcome.
According to him, the governors were candid about their political objectives at the time.
“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 said.
Ikechukwu argued that winning elections requires more than widespread public support. He said political parties must build strong grassroots structures, coordinate campaign activities effectively, and protect votes from polling units through the final declaration of results.
He added that although the Labour Party generated significant enthusiasm during the election, it failed to adequately protect what he described as its electoral gains. According to him, organisational weaknesses contributed to the outcome despite the momentum created by the party’s campaign.
The professor also urged opposition parties seeking to unseat a ruling government to complement public messaging with effective political organisation. He said this includes deploying agents to polling units, maintaining nationwide coordination, and gathering credible evidence for use in election petitions.
In his closing remarks, Ikechukwu encouraged opposition leaders to strengthen their political structures ahead of future elections, stressing that successful campaigns require careful planning, disciplined execution, and sustained grassroots mobilisation rather than relying solely on public criticism. He also urged Nigerians to continue participating in the democratic process through lawful electoral engagement.
