Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Nollywood actor, has expressed strong opposition to the party's decision to select Rotimi Amaechi as its vice-presidential candidate. Okonkwo argues that this choice will perpetuate the marginalization of the South-East region.
Okonkwo's Statement on ADC's Decision
In a statement released on Monday, Okonkwo highlighted that the South-East has not produced a President or Vice President since 1999. He emphasized that denying the South-East the opportunity to produce a candidate for either position in the ADC for the 2027 elections would be a continuation of this marginalization.
“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 marginalize his own people,” Okonkwo said.
Okonkwo's Political Stance
The former actor noted that he did not join the coalition in the ADC to assist in further marginalizing his own people. He described it as an unpardonable injustice to deny the South-East the Vice Presidency in 2027. “I joined politics to fight for a better Nigeria where no region, geopolitical zone, or person will be marginalized. The only favor 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,” he stated.
Okonkwo wished Atiku well but vowed not to campaign for any presidential ticket that does not include a person of South-East origin as President or Vice President in 2027.
