By NAOMI SHARANG

The South-East chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) says it is targeting one million votes for the party’s presidential ticket in the 2027 general elections.

Chairman, FCT South-East of the NDC, Mike Nwosu, disclosed this on Saturday when he led members from the six Area Councils in the FCT on a solidarity visit to the NDC National Vice Chairman, South-East, Mr Teddy Obey.

Nwosu said the visit is to appreciate the party’s national leadership for giving the South-East the opportunity to produce its presidential candidate.

He said the South-East has a responsibility to reciprocate the gesture by mobilising support for the party and ensuring victory for its candidates in the 2027 elections.

“We are going to bring together,c not less than one million people in Abuja. We want to bring all the Igbos in Abuja and the FCT together under one umbrella, the NDC,” he said.

Nwosu said the group would commence intensive mobilisation ahead of the campaigns, stressing that the objective is to ensure that the party’s presidential ticket received massive support across the FCT.

He described the emergence of Peter Obi as the party’s presidential candidate as a significant step toward greater political inclusion for the South-East.

According to him, the region has consistently demanded greater inclusion in national political leadership, and the NDC’s decision to back an aspirant from the region represents an opportunity that must be utilised.

Also speaking, Mr VinMartin Ilo, Chief Technical Adviser to NDC National Leader, Sen. Seriake Dickson, said the visit demonstrated the South-East’s appreciation of the opportunity extended to the region by the party.

Ilo said the South-East had a major role to play in convincing Nigerians across the country that an Igbo presidency would serve the interests of all Nigerians.

He said the NDC is ready to partner with the South-East in mobilising support for Obi and the party’s presidential ticket.

“The Igbos know that for this task to be achieved, they have to lead from the front and reassure other Nigerians that the Igbo man as president will bring the change that Nigeria needs.

“They also have a task to convince other Nigerians that this will be a presidency for all Nigerians, not just for the people of the South-East,” he said.

Ilo said the NDC’s campaign strategy would involve reaching Nigerians at every level, including people in remote communities.

He said the party would rely on facts, statistics and evidence to convince voters that Obi is the best candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

“The campaign is top to bottom. We are not leaving any Nigerian or any part of Nigeria out of it. We need Nigerians in every part and we are reaching out to them,” he said.

Ilo added that the party would also focus on explaining its manifesto, programmes and policies to voters, regardless of their level of education or location.

He said the objective is to ensure that Nigerians understood what an NDC administration would do from its first day in office.

On his part, the National Vice Chairman, South-East of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Teddy Obey, said the party would adopt peaceful, door-to-door mobilisation to reach voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Obey said the NDC would focus on engaging Nigerians directly without violence, confrontation or unnecessary street activities.

“Our position is that we will go from house to house. No noise, no fighting.”

He said the NDC had learnt from past experiences that political mobilisation could be sustained through alternative channels, including grassroots engagement and other methods available to the party.

According to him, the present political situation requires Nigerians to rethink the traditional approach to politics and work toward changing the existing system.

Obey urged Nigerians to consider the future of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren when making political decisions, rather than focusing only on immediate personal benefits.

He also acknowledged the reality of financial inducements during elections but urged voters to exercise their conscience and make decisions based on what they considered right for the country.

“If anybody comes to entice them with anything, it is their right to take it as their property. But their conscience should not be motivated by it. They should do what they feel is the right thing to do,” he said.

The NDC chieftain said the party would continue to encourage Nigerians to participate actively in the democratic process and work toward achieving political change through peaceful means.

He stressed that the objective is to build a system that would serve present and future generations rather than one driven solely by immediate political interests. (NAN)