Former Labour Party presidential campaign spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, has expressed dissatisfaction with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), declaring that he would not campaign for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if reports that the party has picked a vice-presidential candidate from the South-South are confirmed.
Okonkwo made his position known on X, where he expressed disappointment over what he described as the continued marginalisation of the South-East in Nigeria’s power-sharing arrangement.
According to him, the South-East remains the only geopolitical zone that has not produced either a President or Vice President since the return to democratic rule in 1999, arguing that denying the region the vice-presidential slot in 2027 would amount to a grave injustice.
The actor-turned-politician said he joined the ADC-led coalition with the belief that it would promote fairness, inclusion and national unity, not reinforce what he sees as longstanding political exclusion of the South-East.
He recalled that the ADC was founded in 2005 by former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, whom he credited with sacrificing control of the party to support the coalition project aimed at building a stronger Nigeria.
Okonkwo argued that such sacrifices should not result in the further sidelining of the founder’s region.
“I did not join the coalition to assist in the further marginalisation of my own people,” he stated, insisting that if the South-East had already conceded both the party leadership and the presidential ticket, it deserved consideration for the vice-presidential position.
The former Labour Party chieftain also revealed that his only request to Atiku was to demonstrate his commitment to the political inclusion of the South-East by selecting a running mate from the region.
He noted that Atiku had previously presented himself as a pathway to the South-East’s eventual access to the presidency, adding that the choice of a vice-presidential candidate would be a key test of that commitment.
“If it is confirmed that he has chosen a candidate from the South-South, I wish him well,” Okonkwo said. “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.”
