Okonkwo Withdraws Support for Atiku Over VP Choice

Nollywood actor and politician Kenneth Okonkwo has publicly expressed his disappointment and withdrawn his support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. This decision comes after the emergence of Rotimi Amaechi, the former Minister of Transportation, as the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 election. Okonkwo made his feelings known in a statement he posted on his social media account on Monday, shortly after Amaechi's selection was confirmed. The former Labour Party presidential campaign spokesman stated that he is unhappy about the continued exclusion of the South-East region from the country's top political offices. According to Okonkwo, the South-East has been marginalized since the return of democratic rule in 1999, having neither produced a President nor a Vice President. He argued that denying the South-East the opportunity to produce the President or Vice President in the ADC in 2027 would perpetuate this marginalization. Okonkwo also referenced the history of the ADC, which was founded by Ralphs Nwosu, an indigene of the South-East, in 2005. He noted that Nwosu made sacrifices for the party, including giving it up in 2025 for a coalition to usher in a better Nigeria. Okonkwo stated that he did not join politics to assist in the further marginalization of his people and that he had urged Atiku to demonstrate his commitment to South-East inclusion by choosing a running mate from the region. He concluded that he would not support any presidential ticket that excludes the South-East from both the presidential and vice-presidential positions. Okonkwo wished Atiku well but stated that he is not disposed to campaigning for any presidential ticket that does not have a person of South-East origin as President or Vice in 2027.