Coalition of Non-Indigenes Meets Ondo NDC Chairman, Presents Campaign Needs for 2027.

Coalition of Non-Indigenes Meets Ondo NDC Chairman, Presents Campaign Needs for 2027. 

BY PRINCESS EIGBOKHAN ORIH. 

 The Coalition of Non-Indigenes in the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Ondo State, has held a strategic engagement with the state leadership of the party, presenting a comprehensive campaign needs assessment aimed at strengthening grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The meeting, held at the Ondo State NDC Secretariat in the office of the State Chairman, Hon. Kennedy Peretei. brought together leaders, executives, community stakeholders and area coordinators of the coalition.

The engagement was led by the Leader of the Coalition, Prof. Jonathan Oyekwelu, who expressed appreciation to the state chairman for receiving the delegation at short notice following their earlier communication.

Prof. Oyekwelu reaffirmed the coalition’s commitment to supporting the party’s 2027 electoral objectives and said the group was focused on building grassroots structures and engaging communities across the state.

The coalition leader also emphasised the importance of early preparation, drawing from his academic experience supervising postgraduate students. He cautioned against procrastination and urged members to begin implementing their mobilisation plans immediately rather than waiting until the election period draws closer.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for members of the delegation to introduce themselves. Those presented included , Leader of the Coordinating Executive Prof. Jonathan Oyekwelu, Chairman of the Coalition Executive Theophilus Jegede, Vice Chairman of the Coalition Executive Mohammed Mohammed, Secretary. Michael Orih, Public Relations Officer Princess Eigbokhan Orih, Treasurer Meta Chris the Youth Leader Mr. Abel , leader of the Igbo Community and Non-Indigene stakeholder Chief Nicholas,as well as various area coordinators, including coordinators covering Jegele, Ogbese and Odigbo. And members of the Coalition. 

The coalition reported that it had established operational structures and commenced grassroots activities in several parts of Ondo State, including Idanre, Itaogbolu, Ore, Odigbo, Akoko and Jegele. Ogbese Owo, Ifon etc 

According to the coalition, additional mobilisation activities were scheduled for different communities, including a mobilisation meeting in the Jegele/Igoba area, grassroots outreach in Ogbese and an engagement with Hausa community groups, including Kano and Adamawa unions.

The coalition said the activities were part of its effort to strengthen community-level engagement and expand its organisational presence across the state.

Presenting the coalition’s documented campaign needs, the Public Relations Officer, Princess Eigbokhan Orih, outlined several materials and logistics considered necessary for effective grassroots mobilisation.

The requests included NDC-branded caps and T-shirts for volunteers and field coordinators, six large campaign banners bearing the appropriate party logo and approved messages, as well as posters, handbills, flyers and stickers for voter education and public awareness.

The coalition also requested four public address systems to support community meetings, rallies and outdoor mobilisation activities.

On mobility, the group requested eight motorcycles to assist coordinators in reaching rural communities, farm settlements and areas with difficult terrain, particularly within the Odigbo and Ore agricultural belts.

Other needs presented included the production of multilingual campaign jingles and translated audio messages, sponsored radio airtime, radio jingles and interview opportunities, digital graphics and video content for social media, mainstream media coverage of major events, as well as administrative materials such as stationery, registration forms and identification badges for field personnel.

The coalition said the proposed materials and logistics were intended to improve communication, public awareness, grassroots mobilisation and community engagement.

Responding to the presentation, the Ondo State NDC Chairman, Hon. Kennedy Peretei, commended the coalition’s leadership and members for their commitment, organisational structure and proactive approach to grassroots engagement.

The chairman, however, explained that electoral campaigns are generally candidate-driven, noting that certain branded campaign materials such as caps, T-shirts, mufflers, biros and banners are usually provided through the campaign structures of candidates contesting legislative and executive positions.

He encouraged the coalition to maintain its existing grassroots structures and mobilisation activities while continuing to coordinate with the appropriate candidate campaign frameworks.

The meeting ended with the Chairman of the coalition Mr. Theophilus Jegede reaffirming the group 's commitment to grassroots engagement and continued collaboration with the Ondo State NDC leadership as preparations for the 2027 general elections progress.