A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has spoken on key developments that shaped the 2023 presidential race, shedding light on internal decisions within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on the issue from 18:29, Okonkwo focused on how the party handled its presidential ticket ahead of the general elections and the wider implications for Nigeria’s political landscape.
He explained that during the build-up to the 2023 elections, the APC made a decision to zone its presidential ticket to the northern region, a move that sparked intense debate among political stakeholders.
Okonkwo noted that the decision generated controversy, especially as many had expected the party to follow the principle of power rotation across regions.
He added that the ticket was not only zoned to the North but also tilted toward a specific individual within the party, which influenced the early stages of the APC’s internal process.
According to him, the development created tension within the party, as some key figures did not align with the zoning arrangement.
He said this disagreement introduced a new twist to the race, eventually leading to a contest that shifted away from the party’s initial direction.
According to Okonkwo, “In 2022-2023, APC zoned the presidential ticket to the north and they zoned it to Senator Lawan, even when rotation was what should be done Tinubu rebelled and contested and defeated APC.”
He maintained that the outcome of that internal struggle played a decisive role in determining the party’s eventual presidential candidate and reshaped the dynamics of the election. Read_More…