Okonkwo Calls on Tinubu to Step Down Over Health, Says APC Campaign Launch Shows Limitations

Kenneth Okonkwo, who speaks for African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential contender Atiku Abubakar, has said President Bola Tinubu ought to vacate his office because of health issues, describing him as unfit to lead. Okonkwo made the comments after the All Progressives Congress (APC) inaugurated its Presidential Campaign Council. According to Okonkwo, the event demonstrated that the president lacks the physical capacity required for an intense campaign schedule. President Tinubu has said he would assign much of the campaign travel to members of the council so he can concentrate on governance and economic management. He also promised Nigerians that he would maintain direct lines of communication with them. In response, Okonkwo wrote on X that the ruling party's arrangements amounted to an implicit admission of the president's constraints. Okonkwo wrote that the launch of the APC Presidential Campaign Council had made clear that Tinubu cannot physically manage the demanding work of a presidential campaign. He noted that Governor Hope Uzodinma suggested Tinubu would stay in office and focus on running the country while others continued campaigning. Okonkwo said he agreed that the president should leave his position because he is unwell, adding that Nigeria should be led by a healthy and capable leader. Okonkwo called on voters to reject the administration in the 2027 general elections. He presented Atiku Abubakar as an alternative who could tackle the country's economic difficulties.