Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A top official of the Obi‑Kwankwaso political movement has claimed that more than 10 million Nigerians registered with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) within just 24 hours of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi officially joining the party. The staggering assertion was made by Dr. Adefolaseye Adebayo, South‑West Coordinator of the Obi‑Kwankwaso Movement, who said the surge in membership demonstrated that Nigerians have lost faith in the ruling All Progressives Congress and are eager for a new direction. “Many ADC members have defected into the NDC; they obviously know something. The person who has the capability to win the election is Peter Obi,” Adebayo declared in a statement that quickly went viral on social media.
Adebayo’s claim, which has not been independently verified by any neutral electoral or data agency, came just hours after Obi and his ally, former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, were formally received into the NDC by the party’s national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson. According to the movement’s coordinator, the NDC’s online registration portal crashed due to the overwhelming traffic generated by millions of eager supporters. A party official identified only as Boma reportedly confirmed that the volume of visitors was “unprecedented” and that urgent upgrades were needed to keep the site functional. The NDC’s newly elected chairman in Ondo State, Kennedy Peretei, echoed the claim, stating that “no fewer than 10 million Nigerians registered with the party within 48 hours” and that the figures were verifiable on the party’s website.
However, political analysts have cautioned that such claims should be treated with skepticism until independent verification is provided. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not typically release real‑time party membership data, and political parties in Nigeria have a long history of inflating their membership figures for propaganda purposes. Furthermore, the NDC is a newly registered party that only recently gained official recognition, and its infrastructure for accurately tracking national membership in real time has not been publicly demonstrated.
The claim also comes amid unresolved controversies over the NDC’s registration itself. Dr. Umar Ardo, leader of the All Democratic Alliance, has vowed to challenge the NDC’s recognition in court, alleging that INEC unlawfully registered the party without following due process. Ardo claimed that the NDC did not even submit a letter of intent before a court order allegedly compelled INEC to register them. These legal uncertainties have cast a shadow over the opposition coalition’s rapid expansion narrative.
Despite the lack of independent confirmation, the Obi‑Kwankwaso movement’s claim of 10 million new members has energised the opposition’s grassroots and sent a signal of momentum to the ruling party. Whether the figure is accurate or aspirational, the political effect of the claim is already being felt across the Nigerian political landscape. As the 2027 election cycle approaches, both the NDC and the APC will continue to wage battles over perception as much as over votes.
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