Lawyer says Kenneth Okonkwo traded his intellect for a sharp tongue on the Atiku‑Amaechi ticket.

On Tuesday, human‑rights lawyer Maduabuchi Idam accused ADC chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo of trading his intellect for a sharp tongue.

Idam was responding to Okonkwo’s rejection of the ADC presidential ticket that paired Atiku Abubakar with Rotimi Amaechi.

Okonkwo criticized the ADC’s choice of former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, a South‑South politician, as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate.

He pledged not to campaign for Atiku if the running mate is not from the Southeast.

However, Idam said in a statement that: “Kenneth Okonkwo, who seems to have exchanged his brain for an exceptionally sharp tongue, has spoken again. This time, he appears to be advocating for a presidential ticket that accommodates the Southeast, either as President or Vice President.”

“On the surface, one might mistake this position for pan‑Igbo advocacy. However, the real question lies in what may truly motivate his agitation.”

“I suspect that at some point he positioned himself as a potential running mate to Atiku Abubakar— a wild ambition that may have contributed significantly to the erosion of his public image. How he convinced himself that such a possibility ever existed can only be explained by greed and overreaching ambition.”

“A man who lacks the capacity to attract votes beyond his own cannot realistically be considered a valuable electoral asset. Atiku, whatever his shortcomings, would hardly risk what may be his final presidential bid on such a gamble.”

Idam suggested that Okonkwo might find a more suitable political home in the APC.

He also alleged that Okonkwo’s