Nollywood actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo has withdrawn his support for the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, citing what he described as the continued marginalisation of the South-East in the party’s 2027 presidential ticket.
Okonkwo’s decision followed the ADC’s announcement naming former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi from the South-South as Atiku’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
In a statement posted on his official X account, Okonkwo said he could not support a presidential ticket that excludes the South-East from both the presidential and vice-presidential positions.
According to him, the South-East has not produced either a President or Vice President since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, and denying the region the vice-presidential slot would amount to further marginalisation.
Okonkwo also referenced the role of Ralphs Nwosu, noting that the ADC founder, who is from the South-East, relinquished the party’s leadership in 2025 to facilitate the opposition coalition. He argued that such a sacrifice should not result in the exclusion of the region from the party’s top leadership positions.
He maintained that he joined politics to promote fairness and national inclusion, insisting that no region should be sidelined in the country’s leadership.
Okonkwo further revealed that the only request he made to Atiku—whom he said had previously described himself as the pathway to a South-East presidency—was to demonstrate that commitment by choosing a running mate from the region.
He concluded that if the choice of a South-South vice-presidential candidate is confirmed, he would not campaign for the ticket, stating that he cannot support any presidential candidate who does not have a person of South-East origin as either President or Vice President in the 2027 election.