A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has berated actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo for criticising the choice of former Rivers State Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as the running mate to the party’s 2027 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Eze, in a statement on Tuesday, said he was not surprised by the “misguided and unfortunate trash” credited to Kenneth Okonkwo that he would no longer support Atiku because of his choice of Amaechi as his vice-presidential candidate.

Okonkwo’s decision was reportedly informed by an official statement from the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, confirming that Atiku had picked Amaechi as his vice-presidential running mate.

Reacting to the development, Okonkwo had stated that any arrangement excluding the South-East from the top two executive positions in 2027 perpetuates what he described as an unpardonable injustice against the Igbo people.

However, Eze, erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) and a close ally of Atiku and Amaechi, said Okonkwo was so “confused and overzealous that he thinks politics is the same as acting a script in the Nollywood industry.”

“The fact remains that it is not the choice of Amaechi as Atiku’s vice president that made Barr. Okonkwo launch an unsurprising attack on Atiku. He is an emerging betrayer, a man who speaks from both sides of his mouth.

“The heat is on Okonkwo because of his disparaging attack on the person and personality of Peter Obi, whom he once idolised as the best political leader in Nigeria. He is afraid of the N5 billion defamation suit slammed on him by Obi,” the ADC stalwart said.

Eze submitted that, having taken Peter Obi “to the cleaners” and resigned from Atiku’s camp, Okonkwo had decided to abruptly retire from politics and had dug his political grave.

“The truth is that Kenneth Okonkwo is an aimless, toothless, rabies-infested ‘Ekeuke’ (local breed) dog on the loose. He is a greenhorn, erratic and myopic about the dynamics of Nigeria’s politics,” Eze said, insisting that Atiku does not need him to become the next President of Nigeria.

“Okonkwo is a lily-livered rolling stone, an emerging traitor without electoral value,” Eze stated, adding that “Amaechi is Igbo, and his choice by Atiku as a running mate is the best option for the ADC and Nigeria.”

Eze explained that apart from the fact that Amaechi is from a section of the South-South very close to the Igbo, he is married to a woman from the South-East, Dame Judith Amaechi.

“According to our Igbo customs, having married an Igbo woman, Amaechi is automatically a wonderful son of the South-East,” the ADC chieftain said.

He argued that Okonkwo’s attempt to cast aspersions on Atiku’s relationship with the South-East does not hold water because, from the beginning of Atiku’s presidential aspirations, his vice-presidential candidates have always been Igbo.

“Senator Ben Obi under the Action Congress, Peter Obi and Senator Ifeanyi Okowa under the PDP are all Igbo. Now, so is Chibuike Amaechi. Therefore, Okonkwo’s argument lacks moral rectitude and falls short of logical reasoning.

“Besides, Amaechi’s credentials at the moment stand out among those of all South-South and South-East politicians. So, his choice is the best strategy to win the 2027 general elections for the ADC and Nigeria,” Eze insisted.

Eze hailed both Atiku and Amaechi for joining forces to rescue Nigeria at this period, insisting that with the two “refined, tested and trusted democrats,” Aso Rock is within reach.

Recall that Kenneth Okonkwo recently withdrew his support for the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, citing the continued marginalisation of the South-East geopolitical zone.