A former spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Kennedy Peretei, has been elected as the chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the state.
He was elected along with other officials at the party’s state Congress on Monday in Akure.
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The congress, held at Royal Birds Hotel and Towers, Alagbaka, Akure, had about 150 delegates.
The delegates drawn from the 18 council areas of the state ratified the emergence of the new executive council through consensus.
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Chairman of the congress committee, Emmanuel Alli, while declaring the results, said the exercise was conducted in line with directives from the party’s national headquarters and reflected the collective will of members across the state.
Mr Alli also announced Oluwole Akinmuyisan as deputy chairman and Babatunde Daudu as secretary.
Other elected officials include Joy Ayodeji as state woman leader, Samuel Olutosin (organising secretary), Owolola Adebola (publicity secretary), Asiwaju Bernard (vice chairman, south), and Olutubosun Isijola (vice chairman, north), among others.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Peretei said the country was currently at a critical political crossroads, declaring that the NDC was already gaining unprecedented national momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He disclosed that over 10 million Nigerians had registered as members of the party within 48 hours, describing the development as a clear reflection of growing public frustration and desire for political change.
According to him, the registration figures are verifiable and not artificially generated.
“Anybody can go to the NDC website and confirm this,” he said, dismissing suggestions that the numbers were exaggerated or digitally manipulated.
Mr Peretei accused the federal government of attempting to suppress opposition voices, insisting that Nigeria’s democratic space must remain open to all political tendencies.
“There is a deliberate attempt to strangle opposition, but opposition believes that this country does not belong to anybody. This country belongs to all of us,” he said.
“The political space must be enlarged so that people can express themselves. That is why the NDC coming on board registered more than nine million Nigerians on our website within a very short time, so much so that the website almost collapsed.”
He warned that any effort to monopolise Nigeria’s political landscape would ultimately fail.
“Nigeria is too big to be put in anybody’s pocket, and whoever attempts to do that, that person’s pocket will tear,” he declared.
The newly elected chairman described the surge in support for the party as evidence that Nigerians were yearning for a credible alternative.
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“NDC has registered about 10 million Nigerians in 48 hours. It is an expression of the frustration going on in the country. People want something different; people want something better than what they are experiencing now, and that is what will translate into votes in 2027,” he said.
Mr Peretei also assured party supporters that the Ondo chapter would provide robust opposition, noting that consensus among party stakeholders had shaped the congress and strengthened internal unity.
“We are already a strong opposition. Having concluded this congress peacefully, those in government know there is no trouble in the political arena. They will be held accountable to the people,” he added.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and ex-Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso on Sunday declared their membership of the party following a leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Mr Obi said he resigned from the ADC following unresolved litigation, allegedly orchestrated by the federal government to ensure instability in the opposition.
