Leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Enugu State have said they are ready to upset the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.

They stated they had deepened mobilisation to ensure every available vote for the party next year.

Chairman of the party’s membership mobilisation, registration, and revalidation, Chukwuemeka Okereke, stated that the leaders were doing everything legitimate to mobilise and raise awareness among the people about the importance of identifying with the party.

Okereke, who spoke on the sidelines shortly after flagging off the e-registration exercise in Enugu state, added that the enthusiasm for the ADC stemmed from the realisation that the APC had nothing to offer, insisting that the ruling party would be voted out in 2027.

“So one thing we have achieved is the unity of purpose and the consciousness that what is going on now does not represent democracy. This exercise that we have flagged off is a way of announcing to Nigerians that we are ready to fill in that gap and provide leadership acceptable to all

“So we are mobilising to ensure our people get the consciousness, the coherence and conspiracy to do politics. If you don’t have the consciousness that this is where our problem is coming from, it is difficult for you to come together. If you cannot come together, it will be difficult for you to conspire against a common enemy. So that consciousness is what we have created, and we are registering new members and revalidating the old ones in our bid to take over power”, he stated.

He stated that the e-registration had been scheduled to last for 12 days across the 17 local governments and 260 wards of the state, emphasising that the committee has been fully mobilised to undertake the exercise.

Okereke had earlier told the mammoth crowd that attended the flag-off ceremony to “be diligent and ensure the exercise was not hijacked or undermined in their various areas”.

A former governorship aspirant, Dr Chidozie Ogenyi, stated that the level of hunger and deprivation in the state had provoked anger among the people, who now desire change to create a better environment for democracy to flourish.

“Enugu has been squeezed and narrowed, and this presents an opportunity for us to reclaim Enugu. The e-registration is the way to go. I don’t care which party you belong to, but it is time to change that party and come over here.”

“We need to have a party that will open the space for Enugu people to play, and we need to form a government that will bring back smiles to the people of Enugu State. We need to return to the reality of democracy in Enugu State. It is not a one-man show. This is the desire of the people, and we are going to achieve it”, he said.

A former Senator, Gilbert Nnaji, who re-echoed similar sentiments, stated that party members had been mobilised to participate in the e-registration.

Nnaji declared that he was very optimistic that the ADC would form the next government in the state, emphasising that his conviction was evident from the level of enthusiasm shown by the people.

“We are not joking when we say we are the party to beat. It does not matter what the claims by those in power are. The truth is that they have pushed the people to the wall, and this has created a big opportunity for us. We are going to make good use of it to end the reign of the APC in the state”, he said.

A former lawmaker, Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, said the party was working to ensure adequate grassroots mobilisation to strengthen its hold in the state.

Ezeugwu said the registration exercise had been carefully planned to pose less stress on the members, adding that the committee had been adequately mobilised.