Former Labour Party chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo has stirred fresh political debate after strongly criticising the reported vice-presidential choice of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 election, accusing the party of worsening regional exclusion through its zoning arrangement.
Reports claim the ADC has picked former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as its vice-presidential candidate, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar set to lead the presidential ticket.
The reported move has raised concerns in political circles, especially over the South-East’s continued absence from both the presidency and vice presidency since 1999.
Reacting on social media, Okonkwo said the development goes against earlier hopes of fairness within the coalition and could further alienate a region he described as politically marginalised.
He argued that the South-East is the only geo-political zone yet to produce either a President or Vice President in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic and said any further exclusion would be unjust.
Okonkwo also pointed to the role of late Ralph Nwosu in founding the ADC, saying the party’s South-East roots should have encouraged a more inclusive zoning decision.
“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.
He maintained that the coalition should ensure the South-East produces either the president or vice president in the current electoral cycle.
Okonkwo said his support for the coalition ticket would depend on fair regional balance and warned he could reconsider his involvement if the South-East is left out.
“I joined politics to fight for a better Nigeria where no region, geo-political zone, or person will be marginalised,” he stated.
“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 President in 2027,” he warned.
