Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has said no South East contender was eligible to be selected as the party’s vice presidential candidate because the preferred individuals were not registered members of the ADC before the primary election.

Okonkwo made the clarification while responding to questions about his earlier criticism of the party’s decision to pick former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi from the South South as Atiku’s running mate.

He said his concern was geopolitical rather than personal, explaining that he had expected the vice presidential slot to go to the South East. He added, however, that provisions of the Electoral Act limited the party’s options because eligible candidates must have been members of the party at least 21 days before the primary.

According to him, the South East was thrown into political uncertainty after Peter Obi left the race, while the pool of persons who had openly shown interest in the ADC presidential contest included Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, Mohammed Hayatu Deen and Obi.

Okonkwo said Amaechi’s performance at the primary could not be ignored because he secured more than 500 votes, representing a substantial bloc of supporters within the party.

He maintained that the party should still have engaged South East leaders more carefully by explaining the constraints and allowing them to communicate the situation to their people.

Okonkwo also denied opposing Amaechi personally, saying the former minister is now the party’s choice and loyal members must respect the decision. He said Atiku opened dialogue with relevant stakeholders after returning to Nigeria, which helped calm tensions around the announcement. His comments seek to clarify the political calculations behind the ADC ticket and the concerns raised by South East stakeholders after the running mate decision