The endorsement was announced on Wednesday during the party’s first expanded joint executive committee meeting held with local government and ward chairmen, as well as aspirants, in Kaduna.

The meeting attracted governorship aspirants, National Assembly and House of Assembly hopefuls, zonal executives, and party officials from all 23 local government areas of the state.

Speaking at the event, the Kaduna State Chairman of the NDC, Mordecai Ibrahim, said the party was established to provide Nigerians with what he described as “genuine hope” following years of hardship under the APC-led administration.

He accused successive APC governments since 2015 of worsening insecurity, economic difficulties and governance challenges across the country.

According to him, “We all know that the APC has dragged Nigeria and Nigerians 50 years backwards since it assumed power in 2015. Nigerians are indeed groaning today under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration like the children of Israel groaned under Pharaoh’s slavery.”

Ibrahim disclosed that the party had already built structures across Kaduna State’s 255 wards and was preparing to unveil its state secretariat officially.

“We may not have been heard, but we have taken time to build our foundation to be solid and deeply rooted underground. Now it is time to announce our presence in the state,” he stated.

The party chairman further revealed that the NDC had increased its membership target from 500 to 1,500 members per ward, with plans to register at least 1.5 million members across Kaduna State before October 31.

He also directed defectors from other political parties to submit resignation letters from their former parties before becoming eligible to contest elective positions on the NDC platform.

Expressing optimism ahead of the 2027 elections, Ibrahim declared that the party was determined to produce the next governor of Kaduna State and also take control of the presidency.

“With the calibre of aspirants we have gathered in the state, and our presidential candidate which is now obvious, our destination in NDC is Aso Rock Villa in 2027,” he said.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting, one of the governorship aspirants, Ibrahim Abdulkarim, explained that the gathering was organised to strengthen party structures and mobilise members ahead of future elections.

He noted that the party already had over 30,000 officials across Kaduna State and stressed that members had agreed to prioritise the party’s success above personal ambitions.

“What we are doing here today is to see ourselves, have a conversation with our aspirants and also put before us that the party is supreme and that we have to build the party for us to win the election, not only in Kaduna but everywhere,” he said.

Abdulkarim, who described himself as an ICT expert, also claimed that the “Obidient Movement” had aligned with the NDC nationally, alleging that Peter Obi had secured the party’s presidential ticket while Rabiu Kwankwaso was being considered as his running mate.

“Our principal, Mr Peter Obi, has already secured the ticket for NDC and hopefully his running mate will be Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

“At least if you have these two people, every young man and young woman in Nigeria will believe this is exactly the kind of combination we want, people who care about education and are trying to lift young people,” he added.

The governorship aspirant also lamented growing religious divisions in Kaduna State and called on residents to embrace unity.

“We want Kaduna to return to what it used to be. We believe the diversity God gave Kaduna is meant to give it an edge above other states,” he said.