Actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo has publicly withdrawn his support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar following reports that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) selected former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi as its vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The development has sparked fresh debate about political representation and power-sharing in Nigeria, particularly regarding the South-East region.
Okonkwo, who made his position known in a statement shared on his X account, expressed disappointment over what he described as the continued exclusion of the South-East from Nigeria’s highest political offices.
According to him, choosing a running mate from the South-South instead of the South-East would reinforce long-standing complaints of marginalisation in the region.
In his words:
“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 former Labour Party presidential campaign spokesperson argued that since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, the South-East has neither produced a President nor a Vice President.
He said:
“This Geo-Political Zone has neither produced a President or Vice President since 1999. To deny the South-East the opportunity to produce the President or Vice President in ADC in 2027 will amount to perpetuating the marginalisation.”
Okonkwo also pointed to the history of the ADC, noting that the party was founded by Ralphs Nwosu, a South-East indigene, and questioned why the region should continue to make sacrifices without gaining meaningful political representation.
According to him:
“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.”
The outspoken politician maintained that his involvement in politics has always been guided by fairness, equity and inclusion rather than personal interests.
He stated:
“I did not join politics 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.”
Okonkwo further revealed that he had previously urged Atiku Abubakar to demonstrate his commitment to South-East inclusion by selecting a running mate from the region.
In his words:
“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.”
The actor-turned-politician concluded by making it clear that he would not campaign for any presidential ticket that excludes the South-East from both the presidential and vice-presidential positions.
He said:
“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.”
His comments have already generated reactions across political circles, with many Nigerians debating whether the issue of zoning and regional representation will play a major role in shaping alliances ahead of the 2027 general election.
Source: Kenneth Okonkwo’s statement via X
