Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, has appointed actor-turned-politician and ADC chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo as his spokesperson.

Okonkwo announced the appointment in a statement posted on his official X handle on Thursday, expressing appreciation to Atiku for the confidence reposed in him.

“I give God all the glory for being appointed by His Excellency Atiku Abubakar as his spokesperson. I thank His Excellency for the immense confidence reposed in me,” he said.

He described the appointment as a reflection of Atiku’s leadership style, noting that the former vice president values dialogue and inclusiveness over resentment.

“Rather than take offence at associates for expressing genuine reservations about any action taken, His Excellency always opts for dialogue and compromise that engender solutions to problems,” Okonkwo stated.

According to him, discussions with Atiku and other ADC leaders addressed concerns over the political interests of the South-East within the framework of the Electoral Act, 2026, and prevailing political realities.

“At a dialogue with His Excellency and other well-meaning members of the African Democratic Congress, the interests of the South-East were discussed and guaranteed within the existing challenges posed by the Electoral Act, 2026, and the realities on the ground,” he said.

Okonkwo also expressed gratitude to Dr. Kashim Imam, former ADC National Chairman Ralphs Nwosu, and Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties, Dr. Ekene Onwuka, for their contributions to strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 general election.

He further thanked his family, supporters and friends for their encouragement and prayers.

“I still covet your prayers for wisdom, courage, provision and protection needed to carry out this challenging responsibility, which will usher in a glorious and great Nigeria,” he added.

The appointment comes weeks after Okonkwo publicly criticised the ADC’s choice of vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

He had argued that reports indicating the party was considering a vice-presidential candidate from the South-South would further deepen the political marginalisation of the South-East, which, according to him, has not produced either the president or vice president since 1999.

Despite the concerns, the ADC subsequently named former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate after the former vice president secured the party’s presidential ticket.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has appointed actor-turned-politician and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Kenneth Okonkwo, as his spokesperson.

This came weeks after the politician openly criticised the party’s choice of vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

Okonkwo disclosed the appointment in a statement posted on his official X handle on Thursday, where he expressed appreciation to Atiku for entrusting him with the role.

“I give God all the glory to be appointed by His Excellency Atiku Abubakar as his Spokesperson. I thank HE AA for the immense confidence reposed in me,” he wrote.

The former Labour Party, LP, presidential campaign spokesperson described the appointment as a reflection of Atiku’s inclusive leadership style, noting that the former vice president prefers dialogue and consensus-building rather than hostility toward associates who express differing opinions.

“Rather than pick offence against any of his associates for expressing genuine reservations of any action taken, HE AA always opts for dialogue and compromise that will engender solution to problems,” Okonkwo stated.

He revealed that discussions held with Atiku and other leaders of the ADC addressed concerns surrounding the political interests of the South-East despite what he described as limitations created by the Electoral Act, 2026.

“At a dialogue with HE AA and other well-meaning members of the African Democratic Congress, the interests of the South-East have been discussed and guaranteed within the existing challenges posed by the Electoral Act, 2026, and the realities on the ground,” he added.

Okonkwo also expressed gratitude to Kashim Imam, former ADC National Chairman Ralphs Nwosu, and Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties, Ekene Onwuka, for their contributions toward strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

“My sincere gratitude to my family, fans, and friends for their support and prayers, which God answered in covering my errors and colouring my efforts to pave way for this appointment. I still covet your prayers for wisdom, courage, provision, and protection needed to carry out this challenging post, which will usher in a glorious and great Nigeria,” he said.

The appointment comes shortly after Okonkwo publicly faulted the ADC’s selection of its vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

He had warned that reports suggesting the party was considering a candidate from the South-South region for the vice-presidential slot could deepen what he described as the continued marginalisation of the South-East in Nigeria’s political structure.

According to him, such a decision would further deny the South-East the opportunity of producing either the president or vice president, a situation he noted had persisted since 1999.

— Describes state police as a “child of necessity”
— Governors promise speedy approval
— As Ekiti governor promises 700,000 votes for Tinubu, reaches out to opposition

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, on Wednesday said the National Assembly is working to prevent governors from abusing state police.

The Ekiti State Governor, Abiodun Oyebanji, also promised that the state will deliver about 700,000 votes to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

The two spoke to State House correspondents after meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Fielding questions about fears that governors might use their position to abuse the state police, Senator Bamidele said mechanisms are being developed through a constitutional amendment to prevent or minimize any abuse.

On the concerns, he said: “There will always be fears and concerns, but whether the concerns are well-founded is another issue altogether, and we are not unmindful of them.

“They are legitimate concerns, but let me put it this way: even with the federal police, a governor who is the chief security officer in the state can still use the police in a way he deems possible, depending on how much the system allows manipulation.

“Most importantly, we are putting mechanisms in the law as we amend the constitution that would prevent or minimize instances of abuse by state governors.

“And as much as possible, I believe that not everything can go into the constitution, but what’s important at this point is that all the governors, or most of them, are on the same page with us.

“And that will be demonstrated by the speed with which the bill will receive concurrence in their state houses of assembly when we eventually transmit it. We all must know state police is a child of necessity.”

On opposition to the proposal, Senator Bamidele said it was no longer about political interests, adding, “All of us are on the same page that there’s a need for this.

“In the amendment to the Police Act that will follow, we will spell out more details — details that cannot possibly go into the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Also speaking to journalists about the state’s disposition to the establishment of state police, Governor Oyebanji said the National Economic and Financial Council, comprising the 36 state governors, had met and that most governors had submitted their positions.

He said: “We are ready for state police, and we are grateful to the National Assembly for the constitutional amendments. We are waiting for them to be transmitted to the state houses of assembly.

“The governors have made up their minds that they will give it speedy approval so we can start implementing.”

The governor also spoke about his second-term victory in the recent gubernatorial election, attributing the win to the grace of God and the support of President Tinubu, which he said enabled him to deliver on his promises to the people.

“So these are the two factors that led to the result we saw two weeks ago,” he said.
Governor Oyebanji said he has reached out to the opposition candidates to build unity.

“I’m here with the chairman of the campaign council. The election ended when the winner was declared. I phoned the two other candidates and, with the chairman of the campaign council, we visited one of them and reached an understanding.

“Once I get back to Ekiti, I will visit the other one, and they’ve assured me of their cooperation, because the election and politics have ended and we must return to governance.

“I told them that I will need all of them — their wisdom, suggestions and advice — to ensure we continue to deliver to our people.”

On what he will do differently, the governor said: “I have my job cut out for me. We have a 30-year development plan that I’m following, and we will continue to implement it diligently.

“We are not going to do anything differently, because that 30-year development plan is the basis upon which our yearly budget is built and upon which the manifesto is crafted.”

Answering a question on the chances of the President winning the state in 2027, Governor Oyebanji said: “Well, it’s very bright. Let me paint a scenario: in 2022 when we first contested, we won with 187,000 votes; six months later, when the President ran, and I was a few months in office, we increased it to 210,000. This 2026 governorship election posted 318,000, so you can extrapolate and see that in 2027 a target of 600,000–700,000 is doable.”