The African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ondo State chapter, has elected its executives, with a former caretaker chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Bashorun Tola Alabere, emerging as the new ADC chairman following the party’s state congress held on Saturday.

Among the newly elected executives are former PDP Organising Secretary Dare Akinwale, who now serves as the ADC Organising Secretary; Oloye Ola Amure as legal adviser; Kunle Adeloye as secretary; Ayodele Ogunsuyi; and Bobby Omotoso as deputy chairman.

The new executives of the party emerged through consensus, a process the Chairman of the National Convention Committee sent to oversee the state congress in Akure, Hon. Kehinde Agboola, confirmed was in full conformity with the Electoral Act and the opposition party’s constitution.

Agboola disclosed that ward and local government congresses had been successfully conducted prior to the state congress, paving the way for the emergence of the new leadership.

According to him, the inauguration of the officials would enable the party to intensify mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Agboola alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was orchestrating instability within the ADC to prevent the emergence of a formidable opposition capable of challenging it at the polls.

He said: “We are aware of the intrigues of the APC to run down the opposition. That is their style in Lagos State. They ran down the opposition and empowered themselves. The resistance of the APC showed that ADC is on its way to victory.

“This government came as if they had better alternatives. They removed subsidies from petroleum products and taxed everything, including childbirth. The loan this government has taken in the last two years is more than all loans taken by the previous administration in this fourth republic.”

Agboola said the APC collaborators in the ADC have left the party, emphasising that the ADC in Ondo State has come to stay and would give the ruling APC a run for its money. He advised the people not to be wary, as their votes would count.

Responding on behalf of the newly elected officials, Alabere said their duty is to deliver the state to ADC in next year’s election. He promised to work with other members to make the party a household name in the state.

The leader of the ADC in the state, Prof. Bode Ayorinde, said the coalition started with 15 people and has graduated to over 1,000 in the state. He said they decided to adopt ADC as the vehicle through which they would wrestle power from the APC.

Ayorinde said the new executives should work with other members to deliver not less than 60 per cent of the votes for ADC candidates in the next election.