A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has criticised comments attributed to the spokesman of the party’s 2027 presidential candidate, Barrister Kenneth Okonkwo, over the nomination of former Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to the party’s presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Eze described as “unfortunate, insulting and counterproductive” the suggestion that Atiku had no option but to accept Amaechi as his vice-presidential nominee, arguing that such remarks diminished the political standing of both leaders.
The former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) said Atiku’s long political career demonstrated that he possessed the experience, independence and judgment to make critical political decisions without external imposition.
“Anyone who has followed Atiku Abubakar’s political journey knows that he has a mind of his own and is fully capable of taking decisions on matters of this nature,” Eze said.
He added that portraying Amaechi as someone imposed on the former Vice President equally undermined the former Minister of Transportation’s political credentials and contributions to Nigeria’s democratic development.
According to Eze, Amaechi’s record as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, two-term Governor of Rivers State, former Minister of Transportation and two-time presidential aspirant places him among the country’s most experienced political leaders.
He recalled that Amaechi finished second to President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 APC presidential primary and also emerged runner-up to Atiku in the ADC presidential primary, insisting that his emergence as the party’s vice-presidential candidate should be viewed as a strategic asset rather than an imposition.
“Amaechi’s personality, political experience and national appeal add significant value to the ADC presidential ticket,” Eze stated.
While stressing that he had no objection to Okonkwo serving as spokesman, Eze urged him to exercise greater restraint and professionalism in handling sensitive political issues.
He warned that public statements capable of creating unnecessary controversy or portraying party leaders negatively could weaken the opposition party’s cohesion ahead of the 2027 general election.
Eze further advised Okonkwo to understudy seasoned political communicators, including Paul Ibe and Mallam Garba Shehu, on the demands of managing public communication for high-profile political figures.
He also appealed to party leaders, spokespersons and supporters to place unity above personal differences as the ADC positions itself for the next 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,” he said.
Calling for discipline and responsible communication, Eze maintained that the party must avoid actions capable of creating division if it hoped to present a formidable challenge in 2027.
“As things stand, we have a common objective. We need unity of purpose and must avoid comments that could weaken our collective resolve. Responsible communication and party cohesion remain essential to the success of the ADC in the forthcoming elections,” he said.
