2027: Obi’s ‘unceremonious’ exit from ADC left Southeast disadvantaged – Okonkwo + Video

Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stated that Peter Obi’s sudden departure from the party left the South-East region politically disadvantaged and confused.

Okonkwo made this statement on Thursday on Channels Television’s ‘Morning Brief’.

He was responding to questions on why the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has not publicly acknowledged his vice presidential candidacy and his own earlier reservations over the vice-presidential slot not going to the Southeast.

According to him, before the ADC presidential primary, a person from the South-East had shown interest in the race but exited the process before its conclusion, a development he said left the region “disadvantaged and confused”.

The Nollywood star-turned politician stressed that Obi’s exit created a vacancy that could not easily be filled because the Electoral Act bars parties from picking running mates who were not party members at least 21 days before the primary, ruling out names such as Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

“The person that represented the southeast in that calculation left unceremoniously before the conclusion of the process, that left southeast disadvantaged and confused, and then immediately Peter Obi exited, it was as if that position that would have been given to Southeast was vacant.

“Some beautiful names were dropped off. You talked about Abaribe, you talked about Ngozi Okonjo, you talked about some nice names, but those names, they were no longer members of ADC,” he said, adding that this was why Atiku “still went to the nearest person that is closest to the southeast.”

On his earlier comments widely interpreted as opposition to Amaechi’s choice, Okonkwo clarified that he never mentioned Amaechi by name or objected to him personally, noting that Amaechi is himself Igbo by ethnicity.

He said his concern was strictly about geopolitical balancing, given that the South-East has not produced a president or vice president since 1999.

Okonkwo said he was satisfied after the party explained the rationale behind the pick, adding that internal negotiations were ongoing to address any lingering reservations within the party.

“We are now one big and happy family. ADC is going to form the next government of Nigeria, and Atiku will be the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the grace of God,” he said.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖