I never opposed Amaechi’s nomination – Kenneth Okonkwo

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Kenneth Okonkwo, former spokesperson of the Labour Party.

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The spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Kenneth Okonkwo, has dismissed reports that he opposed the emergence of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as the party’s vice-presidential candidate.

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Okonkwo also said Atiku recognised his worth despite his previous criticisms of the former vice president, while accusing his former principal and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of betraying him.

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Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday, Okonkwo clarified that his earlier comments on the vice-presidential slot reflected a geopolitical preference for a South-East candidate rather than opposition to Amaechi.

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“I do not know where you got that from,” he said when asked whether he still opposed Amaechi’s nomination.

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Backing the party’s decision, he added: “First and foremost, he is the choice of the party and everybody that is a loyal party member.”

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Okonkwo explained that he had advocated for the vice-presidential ticket to go to the South-East but acknowledged that the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 limited the number of eligible contenders.

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“I said I expected that the vice president should come from the South-East. It was a geopolitical expression, not directed at anybody personally. I also understood the limitations within the Electoral Act 2026. For anybody to be eligible to contest, you must have been a member 21 days before the primary. The people from the South-East whom I would have preferred were not even registered members, so we were restricted,” he said.

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According to him, the leading contenders for the party’s presidential ticket before the primary were Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, Hayatu-deen and Peter Obi.

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“Rotimi Amaechi, Hayatu-deen, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi were the people showing interest in contesting the presidential election. When Peter Obi left, the South-East was thrown into confusion, and you have to pick a vice president who has shown the willingness to undertake the demanding task of campaigning across the country,” he said.

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Okonkwo argued that Amaechi’s strong showing at the party’s presidential primary made him an important stakeholder whose supporters could not be overlooked.

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“Amaechi got over 500 votes in the primary. You cannot alienate those supporters,” he said.

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He, however, maintained that the party leadership should have consulted stakeholders from the South-East before making a final decision on the vice-presidential candidate.

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“What I was agitating for was that even if there were constraints, the people of the South-East should have been brought together and informed about those constraints. That way, they would know what to tell their people,” he said.

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Okonkwo also disclosed that Atiku was out of the country when the party initially announced the vice-presidential candidate and initiated consultations immediately after returning to Nigeria.

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“Atiku was not in Nigeria when the party made the announcement. He travelled, and when he returned, he did the needful. If you recall, everything was halted. He went into dialogue and called all the parties. That is the beauty of this great democrat,” he said.

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