ADC leader blames Kenneth Okonkwo for criticizing Amaechi as Atiku’s running mate.

By Daniel Abia, Port Harcourt

Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a senior member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has criticised actor‑turned‑politician Kenneth Okonkwo for opposing the party’s decision to select former Rivers State Governor and ex‑Minister of Transportation Chibuike Amaechi as the running mate of ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 elections.

Eze said he was not surprised by Okonkwo’s stance, calling it “unfortunate,” after the ADC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi confirmed that Atiku had chosen Amaechi as his vice‑presidential candidate.

Okonkwo reportedly withdrew his support for Atiku, arguing that any political arrangement that excludes the South‑East from the top two executive positions in 2027 amounts to injustice against the Igbo people.

Responding, Eze, a former National Publicity Secretary of the now‑defunct New Peoples Democratic Party, accused Okonkwo of inconsistency in his political positions. He claimed the former actor “speaks from both sides of his mouth” and suggested that Okonkwo’s criticism was influenced by recent disagreements within political circles.

“The fact remains that it is not the choice of Amaechi as Atiku’s Vice President that made Barr. Okonkwo launch an attack on Atiku. He is an emerging betrayer,” Eze said.

Eze also linked Okonkwo’s reaction to a perceived fallout with former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, arguing that the lawyer‑actor had become “politically inconsistent.”

He further noted that Amaechi, although from the South‑South, has close cultural and marital ties to the South‑East, citing his marriage to an Igbo woman. “According to Igbo customs, having married an Igbo woman, Amaechi is automatically a son of the South‑East,” he said.

Eze added that Atiku’s past running mates have included politicians of Igbo origin, naming Senator Ben Obi, Peter Obi, and Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as examples.

According to Eze, the choice of Amaechi represents a strong political strategy that could strengthen the ADC’s chances in the 2027 presidential election. He maintains that Amaechi remains one of the most experienced politicians from the South‑South and South‑East geopolitical zones and insists that his selection is “the best option for Nigeria.”

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