July 12, (THEWILL) – Nollywood actor turned politician and lawyer, Kenneth Okonkwo, has resigned from being a card carrying member of All Progressive Congress (APC).
The actor made this known in a statement on his Instagram page on Monday night. Okonkwo said he is leaving the APC due to the decision of the ruling party to use a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for the 2023 elections.
Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the APC, on July 10, announced Kashim Shettima, the former governor of Borno state, as his running mate.
The development has elicited mixed reactions from Nigerians.
The statement read, “I just resigned my membership of the All Progressives Congress in the interest of equity, justice, fairness and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.
“May God deliver Nigeria from the hands of power grabbers, who elevate the quest for power above the quest for purpose.
“God bless you and Barka da Sallah to our Muslim brothers”, he stated.
The statement also read in part: “If Muslims could voluntarily vote for southern presidents, it is then a fallacy to insinuate that they cannot accept a northern Christian vice president.
“This will permanently destroy the political viability of Northern Christians in Nigeria, if allowed to stand. This is in addition to the failure to protect lives and properties of Nigerians which should be their primary responsibility. The country is also in shatters.
In January, Okonkwo said he asked Igbo people to join APC in 2019, so as to get a chance at fixing what he described as “16 years of misrule.”
In November last year, the actor also stated that President Muhammadu Buhari has done more for south-eastern Nigeria under the ruling party than the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
