PORT HARCOURT/Nigeria: Fresh differences have surfaced within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following comments attributed to the spokesman of the party’s 2027 presidential campaign, Barr. Kenneth Okonkwo, over the emergence of former Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, as running mate to the party’s presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The latest disagreement came on Thursday when an ADC chieftain and former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, criticised remarks reportedly suggesting that Atiku had little choice but to accept Amaechi as his vice-presidential nominee.
In a statement, Eze argued that such comments diminish the political standing of both Atiku and Amaechi, insisting that the former Vice President has the experience and independence to make strategic political decisions without external influence.
He also maintained that portraying Amaechi as a candidate imposed on the presidential ticket ignores his long political career, which includes serving as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation.
According to Eze, Amaechi’s selection should be viewed as a strategic decision based on his political experience rather than as an arrangement forced on the party’s presidential candidate.
While stressing that he had no objection to Okonkwo serving as spokesman for the campaign, Eze urged him to exercise restraint in public communication, particularly on issues capable of generating unnecessary controversy within the party.
He advised party spokespersons to avoid comments that could be interpreted as undermining the credibility of the party’s leadership or creating divisions among supporters ahead of the 2027 general election.
“Our focus should remain on building a united front. Internal disagreements should not distract us from our collective objective of providing Nigerians with a credible alternative,” Eze said.
The ADC chieftain also called on party leaders, members and supporters to remain united as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum, warning that avoidable public disagreements could weaken the party’s campaign.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Barr. Kenneth Okonkwo nor the ADC campaign organisation had publicly responded to Eze’s remarks.
The exchange comes as political activities continue to gather pace ahead of the 2027 general election, with parties expected to intensify efforts to project unity while consolidating support for their presidential tickets.
