Kenneth Okonkwo, has explained why the party plans to keep its presidential ticket open to aspirants from any region ahead of the 2027 election.
Speaking during an interview on Channels TV, he stated that the party believes zoning could limit participation and reduce the chances of selecting the strongest candidate to challenge the current government led by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.
Okonkwo argued that the ruling party did not actually zone its presidential ticket to the South in the last election. Instead, he said the eventual candidate emerged through a competitive primary election where different aspirants contested and one person won.
He also pointed to what happened in the Peoples Democratic Party before the 2023 election. He said Atiku Abubakar had suggested that fairness would require the ticket to be zoned to the Southeast. Atiku reportedly indicated he would not run if that decision was taken.
However, the party did not follow that suggestion. Okonkwo claimed some party leaders believed Nyesom Wike would likely emerge if zoning was applied, which influenced the decision not to restrict the race to a particular region.
Because of this history, Okonkwo said the ADC intends to allow aspirants from both the North and the South to compete freely in 2027.
He added that the party’s main goal is to build nationwide support and present a strong candidate capable of defeating the current administration and improving security and welfare for Nigerians.
In his words, “When Atiku Abubakar said that if you zoned it to Southeast, he will not contest, yet they didn’t listen to him, because they thought Wike would win….See More
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