Former presidential campaign spokesperson and actor-turned-politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has declared that he would not campaign for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election if the African Democratic Congress (ADC) fails to pick its vice-presidential candidate from the South-East.

Okonkwo made his position known in a statement on Monday amid reports circulating on social media that the ADC coalition had settled for a vice-presidential candidate from the South-South geopolitical zone.

According to him, such a decision, if confirmed, would amount to the continued marginalisation of the South-East, a region he noted 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,” he stated.

The former Labour Party chieftain argued that denying the South-East the opportunity to produce either the presidential or vice-presidential candidate of the coalition would be unjust, especially considering the sacrifices made by key figures from the region to strengthen the coalition.

He specifically referenced the founder of the ADC, Ralph Nwosu, who he said relinquished control of the party in 2025 to facilitate the emergence of a broad opposition coalition aimed at delivering better governance in Nigeria.

“The ADC was founded by Ralph 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,” Okonkwo said.

I heard from the 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.

The politician maintained that the South-East had already conceded major positions within the coalition and should not be excluded from consideration for the vice-presidential ticket.

“I did not join the coalition to assist in the further marginalisation of my own people. I am of the opinion that if we made a sacrifice to give up the National Chairman and the President, it will amount to unpardonable injustice to deny us the Vice President in 2027,” he added.

Okonkwo stressed that his involvement in politics was driven by the desire to build a Nigeria where no individual, region, or geopolitical zone would suffer discrimination or exclusion.

Kenneth Okonkwo further revealed that the only request he made to Atiku Abubakar, whom he described as a politician who had publicly presented himself as a pathway to the South-East presidency, was to demonstrate that commitment by choosing 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 stated.

Okonkwo warned that he would withhold support from any presidential ticket that excludes the South-East from either the presidential or vice-presidential position.

“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 in 2027,” he said. (Nigerian Tribune)

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