A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has strongly defended the reported selection of former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, as the running mate to the party’s 2027 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Eze criticised actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo for opposing the reported ticket, describing his position as disappointing and politically inconsistent. The debate over the Amaechi running mate arrangement has intensified following reports that the ADC leadership settled for the former Rivers governor as Atiku’s vice-presidential choice.
The ADC stalwart said he was not surprised by Okonkwo’s reaction after the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, reportedly confirmed the vice-presidential selection. Okonkwo had withdrawn his support for Atiku, arguing that any political arrangement that excludes the South-East from the top two executive positions would amount to injustice against the Igbo people.
Responding to the criticism, Eze alleged that Okonkwo’s position was not genuinely about Amaechi’s running mate decision but was influenced by recent political disagreements and shifting alliances. According to him, the former actor has demonstrated inconsistency in his political engagements and should not present the vice-presidential choice as the sole reason for his disagreement with Atiku.
Defending the choice further, Eze argued that Amaechi maintains strong cultural and family ties with the South-East despite being from the South-South region. He noted that Amaechi is married to an Igbo woman and claimed that, under traditional Igbo customs, such a relationship establishes a strong connection with the South-East.
Eze said the selection should not be interpreted as a political exclusion of the region, adding that Atiku has previously chosen politicians of Igbo origin as running mates during different election cycles. He referenced figures such as Senator Ben Obi, Peter Obi and Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as examples of Atiku’s history of political partnerships across different regions.
The former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) described the reported ticket as a strategic political calculation ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
According to him, Amaechi brings significant political experience, administrative credentials and electoral value that could strengthen the ADC’s prospects nationally. Eze maintained that the Amaechi’s running mate decision reflects what he considers the strongest available option for the party, insisting that the former minister remains one of the most experienced political figures from the southern part of Nigeria.
He expressed confidence that the partnership between Atiku and Amaechi would enhance the ADC’s competitiveness as political realignments continue ahead of the next general election.
