Spokesman for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Kenneth Okonkwo, has said Peter Obi’s departure from the party weakened the South-East’s chances of producing the vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Okonkwo made the remarks on Thursday, July 16, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief while responding to questions about why former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has yet to publicly acknowledge his emergence as Atiku’s running mate on his social media platforms.
According to him, the South-East was initially represented in the ADC presidential race, but the withdrawal of its leading aspirant before the conclusion of the nomination process disrupted the region’s political calculations.
He argued that Obi’s exit created uncertainty and left the South-East without a viable candidate to fill the vice-presidential slot.
Okonkwo explained that although several respected personalities from the region were considered, the Electoral Act prevented the party from selecting individuals who were not registered members of the ADC within the required timeframe before the primary election.
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“The person that represented the South-East in that calculation left unceremoniously before the conclusion of the process, that left the South-East disadvantaged and confused, and then immediately Peter Obi exited, it was as if that position that would have been given to the South-East was vacant,” Okonkwo said.
He noted that prominent figures, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, were among the names mentioned during discussions.
However, he said the party could not consider them because they were not members of the ADC before the legal deadline stipulated for participation in the nomination process.
“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,” Okonkwo added.
His comments come amid continued discussions over the ADC’s presidential ticket and the political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election, following Obi’s departure from the party and Atiku Abubakar’s emergence as its presidential candidate.