ADC leader scolds Kenneth Okonkwo for criticizing Atiku’s choice of Amaechi as running mate in 2027.

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has publicly rebuked actor‑turned‑politician Kenneth Okonkwo for criticizing the party’s 2027 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar’s choice of former Rivers State Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Eze said he was unsurprised by what he described as “misguided and unfortunate trash” from Okonkwo, who had announced he would no longer support Atiku because of Amaechi’s selection.

Okonkwo’s criticism followed an official announcement by the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, confirming that Atiku had chosen Amaechi as his vice‑presidential candidate.

Okonkwo responded by saying that any arrangement excluding the South‑East from the top two executive positions in 2027 perpetuates what he called an “unpardonable injustice” against the Igbo people.

Eze, a former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) and a close ally of both Atiku and Amaechi, accused Okonkwo of being “confused and overzealous” and suggested he treats politics like a Nollywood script.

“The fact remains that it is not the choice of Amaechi as Atiku’s vice president that prompted Barr. Okonkwo to launch an unsurprising attack on Atiku,” Eze said. “He is an emerging betrayer, a man who speaks from both sides of his mouth.”

He added that Okonkwo’s disparaging remarks against Peter Obi, whom he once idolised as the best political leader in Nigeria, were driven by fear of a N5 billion defamation suit filed by Obi.

Eze claimed that after “taking Peter Obi to the cleaners” and resigning from Atiku’s camp, Okonkwo had decided to retire abruptly from politics, effectively digging his own grave.

“Kenneth Okonkwo is an aimless, toothless, rabies‑infested ‘Ekeuke’ dog on the loose,” Eze said. “He is a greenhorn, erratic and myopic about the dynamics of Nigeria’s politics. Atiku does not need him to become the next President of Nigeria.”

He described Okonkwo as a “lily‑livered rolling stone, an emerging traitor without electoral value,” and asserted that Amaechi’s Igbo heritage makes him the best choice for the ADC and Nigeria.

Eze explained that Amaechi hails from a South‑South region closely linked to the Igbo and is married to Dame Judith Amaechi, an Igbo woman. “According to our Igbo customs, having married an Igbo woman, Amaechi is automatically a wonderful son of the South‑East,” the ADC chieftain said.

He argued that Okonkwo’s attempt to cast aspersions on Atiku’s relationship with the South‑East is unfounded, noting that Atiku’s vice‑presidential candidates have historically been Igbo: Senator Ben Obi of the Action Congress, Peter Obi, and Senator Ifeanyi Okowa of the PDP, as well as Chibuike Amaechi. “Therefore, Okonkwo’s argument lacks moral rectitude and falls short of logical reasoning.”

“Besides, Amaechi’s credentials at the moment stand out among those of all South‑South and South‑East politicians. His choice is the best strategy to win the 2027 general elections for the ADC and Nigeria,” Eze insisted.

Eze praised both Atiku and Amaechi for joining forces to “rescue” Nigeria at this critical period, insisting that with the two “refined, tested and trusted democrats,” Aso Rock is within reach.

Recall that Kenneth Okonkwo recently withdrew his support for the ADC’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, citing the continued marginalisation of the South‑East geopolitical zone.