Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, says Peter Obi’s exit from the party left the South-East politically disadvantaged ahead of the party’s presidential primary.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Thursday, Okonkwo made the remarks while responding to questions about why former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has yet to publicly acknowledge his vice-presidential candidacy on his social media platforms.

Okonkwo said the South-East had initially been represented in the party’s presidential calculations before Obi withdrew from the process, creating what he described as a leadership vacuum for the region.

According to him, Obi’s departure came before the conclusion of the ADC presidential primary, leaving the South-East “disadvantaged and confused” as the party sought to finalise its ticket.

He added that although several prominent figures from the region, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, were considered, they could not be selected because they were not members of the ADC within the period required by law.

“The person that represented the South-East in that calculation left unceremoniously before the conclusion of the process. That left the South-East disadvantaged and confused,” Okonkwo said.

He explained that the Electoral Act requires prospective running mates to have been members of a political party for at least 21 days before its primary election, making it impossible for the party to nominate individuals who were not already registered members.