BREAKING: Kenneth Okonkwo Withdraws Support for Atiku

BREAKING: Kenneth Okonkwo Withdraws Support for Atiku

Former presidential spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council and Nollywood actor-turned-politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has withdrawn his support for the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, over what he described as the continued marginalisation of the South-East geopolitical zone.

Okonkwo announced his decision following reports that the ADC had selected former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as Atiku’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election.

The development was reportedly confirmed by ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi.

Reacting in a statement shared on his official X handle, Okonkwo expressed disappointment over the reported choice, arguing that excluding the South-East from both the presidential and vice-presidential positions would amount to perpetuating injustice against the region.

According to him, the South-East remains the only geopolitical zone that has neither produced a President nor Vice President since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

“I heard from 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,” Okonkwo stated.

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He maintained that denying the South-East the opportunity to occupy either of the top two executive offices in the proposed ADC coalition arrangement would further deepen feelings of exclusion among the people of the region.

The actor-turned-politician also referenced the sacrifices made by ADC founder, Ralphs Nwosu, who he said relinquished control of the party in 2025 to facilitate a broader political coalition aimed at producing a better Nigeria.

“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,” he said.

Okonkwo stressed that he joined the coalition movement to promote equity, fairness and national unity, insisting that no region or ethnic group should be politically sidelined.

He revealed that his only request to Atiku was to demonstrate his commitment to the South-East by selecting a running mate from the region.

“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,” he said.

The former Labour Party chieftain declared that if the reports concerning Amaechi’s nomination are officially confirmed, he would not participate in campaigning for the ADC presidential ticket.

“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 President in 2027,” Okonkwo added.

His position is expected to spark fresh debate within the opposition coalition over issues of zoning, inclusion and power-sharing ahead of the 2027 general election.

BREAKING: Kenneth Okonkwo Withdraws Support for Atiku