Actor turned politician, Kenneth Okonkwo has rejected the choice of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
Key Highlights:
- Kenneth Okonkwo rejected Rotimi Amaechi as Atiku’s running mate.
- He said the choice further marginalises the South-East.
- Okonkwo argued the vice-presidential slot should go to the South-East.
- He warned the move contradicts promises of inclusion.
- He withdrew support for any ticket without a South-East candidate.
In a statement on Monday, Bolaji Abdulllahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, announced the party’s choice of Amaechi.
However in a statement, Okonkwo said that the choice of Amaechi from the South South strengthens the continued marginalization of people from the South East .
According to the former spokesperson of the Labour Party, any arrangement that would not factor a person from the South East either as president or vice president in the party is anti-Igbo.
He contended that Chief Raph Nwosu, who founded the ADC in 2005 and willingly surrendered it’s leadership to David Mark did not do so to entench Igbo marginalization in the party
The former actor said: “I heard from the social media that ADC has picked its vice presidential candidate from the South-South. If this is true, it is unfortunate, as this will continue the crude marginalisation of the South-East.
“This geo-political zone has neither produced a president or vice president since 1999. To deny the South-East the opportunity to produce the president or vice president in the ADC in 2027, will amount to perpetuating the marginalisation.
“The ADC was founded by Ralphs Nwosu from the South-East in 2005. He made the sacrifice to give up the party in 2025 for the coalition to usher in a better Nigeria. He couldn’t have made that sacrifice to marginalise his own people.
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“I did not join the coalition to assist in marginalisation of my own people further. I am of the opinion that if we made a sacrifice to give up the national chairman and the president, it will amount to unpardonable injustice to deny us the vice president in 2027.
“I joined politics to fight for a better Nigeria where no region, geo-political zone, or person will be marginalised.
“The only favour I asked Atiku Abubakar, who openly declared that he is the pathway to the presidency of the South-East, is to show it by choosing someone from the South-East to be his vice.
“If it is confirmed that he has chosen a candidate from the South-South, I wish him well. I am not favourably disposed to campaigning for any presidential ticket that does not have a person of South-East origin as president or vice in 2027”
