Peter Obi's Exit Left South-East Politically Disadvantaged – Kenneth Okonkwo
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, has said Peter Obi's withdrawal from the party before the conclusion of its presidential primary left the South-East politically disadvantaged and uncertain during the process of selecting a vice-presidential candidate.
Speaking on Thursday during Channels Television's Morning Brief, Okonkwo explained that Obi's exit created a leadership vacuum for the region at a crucial stage of the party's nomination process.
According to him, Obi had been the South-East's main representative in the presidential race, and his sudden departure disrupted the party's calculations for balancing its ticket.
"The person that represented the South-East in that calculation left before the conclusion of the process. That left the South-East disadvantaged and confused, and it appeared that the position that could have gone to the region became vacant," Okonkwo said.
He noted that while several respected South-East figures were considered for the vice-presidential slot, the ADC could not nominate them because they were not registered members of the party within the timeframe required by the Electoral Act.
Okonkwo mentioned names such as Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as individuals whose names came up during consultations but were ineligible because they were not members of the ADC.
He added that the Electoral Act requires anyone nominated as a vice-presidential candidate to have been a registered member of the sponsoring political party for at least 21 days before its primary election, making it impossible for the party to consider non-members regardless of their qualifications.
Speaking on Thursday during Channels Television's Morning Brief, Okonkwo explained that Obi's exit created a leadership vacuum for the region at a crucial stage of the party's nomination process.
According to him, Obi had been the South-East's main representative in the presidential race, and his sudden departure disrupted the party's calculations for balancing its ticket.
"The person that represented the South-East in that calculation left before the conclusion of the process. That left the South-East disadvantaged and confused, and it appeared that the position that could have gone to the region became vacant," Okonkwo said.
He noted that while several respected South-East figures were considered for the vice-presidential slot, the ADC could not nominate them because they were not registered members of the party within the timeframe required by the Electoral Act.
Okonkwo mentioned names such as Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as individuals whose names came up during consultations but were ineligible because they were not members of the ADC.
He added that the Electoral Act requires anyone nominated as a vice-presidential candidate to have been a registered member of the sponsoring political party for at least 21 days before its primary election, making it impossible for the party to consider non-members regardless of their qualifications.
