The spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Kenneth Okonkwo, has said that Peter Obi’s departure from the party left the South-East region at a disadvantage during the party’s presidential selection process.
Speaking on Thursday during Channels Television’s Morning Brief, Okonkwo explained that Obi’s exit created uncertainty within the region and narrowed the party’s options for selecting a vice-presidential candidate.
He made the remarks while responding to questions about why former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has yet to publicly acknowledge his vice-presidential candidacy on his social media platforms.
According to Okonkwo, the South-East initially had a representative in the presidential race, but the individual’s withdrawal before the conclusion of the primary process disrupted the region’s chances of securing the vice-presidential slot.
“The person that represented the South-East in that calculation left unceremoniously before the conclusion of the process. That left the South-East disadvantaged and confused. Immediately Peter Obi exited, it was as if that position that would have been given to the South-East became vacant,” he said.
Okonkwo added that several prominent figures, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, were considered as potential running mates. However, he noted that the Electoral Act prevented the ADC from selecting them because they were not registered members of the party at least 21 days before the presidential primary.
“You talked about Abaribe, you talked about Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and some other respected names, but those names were no longer members of the ADC,” he stated.
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