Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has said that Peter Obi’s departure from the party left the South-East politically disadvantaged and uncertain ahead of the party’s presidential primary.
Okonkwo made the remarks on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief while responding to questions about why former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has not publicly acknowledged his vice-presidential candidacy on his social media platforms.
He explained that before the ADC presidential primary, a South-East aspirant had indicated interest in the race but withdrew before the process was concluded. According to him, Obi’s exit created a vacuum that placed the region at a disadvantage.
Okonkwo noted that the Electoral Act requires anyone nominated as a vice-presidential candidate to have been a member of the party for at least 21 days before the primary. He said this provision ruled out several prominent South-East figures, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
“The person who represented the South-East in that calculation left before the conclusion of the process, leaving the region disadvantaged and confused. Immediately Peter Obi exited, it appeared that the position that would have gone to the South-East became vacant.
“Some notable names were suggested, including Abaribe and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, but they were no longer members of the ADC, making them ineligible under the law,” he said.
