Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
ABUJA, Nigeria – The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Senator Seriake Dickson, has fired back at critics questioning the party’s leadership structure, declaring that no one is more qualified than him to run for president on the NDC platform and that those who disparage the party while supporting its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, are behaving “nonsensically”. The former Bayelsa State governor spoke during an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’ programme on Wednesday night, June 10, 2026, addressing growing internal tensions within the opposition coalition.
Senator Dickson insisted that the NDC is not a vehicle that was desperate for candidates, but rather a platform that chose to accommodate others for the sake of national unity. “I could have run. Listen to me. There’s no one more qualified than me to run for president of Nigeria. None,” he said. “You are talking of names because they have tried. And for some reasons, I did not want to. So don’t make it look like anyone is doing NDC a favour. Rather, the NDC and I and my colleagues are doing people a favour by granting our platform to them. And that narrative is important.”
The NDC leader did not hide his frustration with supporters of Obi who, according to him, attack the party’s leadership while claiming to back the former Anambra governor. “You cannot be supporting Peter Obi if you are genuinely supporting him, and you are disparaging me, the leader, or the platform itself. That is nonsensical,” Dickson warned. “If it were easy for people to form a party, well form yours. If it were easy.” He argued that weakening the NDC ultimately undermines the very candidate these supporters claim to back.
Dickson revealed that before Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, joined the NDC, the party had already received several prominent politicians, including Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (Binani) from Adamawa and Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa from Zamfara. “Now, before Peter, I received Binani from Adamawa and several other people for five months. People should be careful. Okay, as we move on, the platform is there,” he said. “Peter Obi is a cherished member of the party, and on our own, we have made him the sole presidential candidate. And that counts for something.”
The former governor dismissed reports of an internal crisis within the NDC, insisting that the leadership remains intact and that Obi and Kwankwaso remain cherished members. He further clarified that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso paid any fee to secure the party’s presidential and vice‑presidential tickets, contrary to rumours in some quarters. “They didn’t pay one naira. They didn’t pay ‘shishi’. Nobody pays ‘shishi’,” the senator emphasised.
The remarks are seen as a direct response to growing internal tensions within the NDC ahead of the 2027 elections. Roughly a month ago, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso defected to the newly registered NDC, which was officially cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission in February 2026. While the party welcomed the Obidient and Kwankwasiyya movements as valuable mobilisation networks, the national working committee’s insistence on institutional supremacy and fiscal control over independent groups has drawn criticism from some supporters.
Despite the friction, Dickson expressed confidence in the NDC’s chances in the 2027 general election, arguing that Nigerians are united in their desire to oust the ruling All Progressives Congress over issues of insecurity, economic hardship, and national division. He called on all supporters to focus on the key issues rather than engaging in internal bickering. “The NDC leadership is intact and there is no crisis whatsoever. We have been able to enjoy the confidence of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, and we are working well together,” Dickson concluded.
As the 2027 election cycle gathers momentum, the NDC leader’s blunt warning signals a determination to maintain control of the party’s structures even as he welcomes new political heavyweights into the coalition.
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