Seriake Dickson, national leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), says the opposition party is doing its candidates a favour by giving them the opportunity to contest elective positions on its platform in the 2027 elections.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Wednesday, Dickson dismissed suggestions that the NDC should be grateful to Peter Obi, its presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, or any other political figure for joining the party.
“Don’t make it look like anyone is doing NDC a favour. No one is,” Dickson said.
“Rather, the NDC and I and my colleagues are doing people a favour by granting our platform.”
The former Bayelsa governor urged Obi’s supporters to stop attacking the party or its leaders, noting that such actions undermine the political vehicle carrying their preferred candidate.
“If you are genuinely supporting Peter Obi and you are disparaging me, the leader, or the platform itself. That is nonsensical,” he said.
According to the party leader, NDC has demonstrated confidence in Obi by adopting him as its sole presidential candidate and selecting a vice-presidential candidate without internal disputes.
“Nobody paid shishi. So, if a presidential candidate didn’t pay shishi to be made the sole presidential candidate and sole vice-presidential candidate, that same party cannot be the one saying that small people are underprivileged,” he said.
The senator also pushed back against suggestions that he lacked the political stature to seek the presidency himself.
“I could have run. There’s no one more qualified than me. There’s no one more qualified than me to run for presidential candidate. None,” he added.
Dickson said the NDC had attracted politicians and supporters from across the country even before Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the former governor of Kano, joined the party, adding that the platform’s growth is not dependent on any single individual.
According to him, there is no crisis within the NDC, contrary to reports suggesting tensions between party leaders and supporters of the presidential ticket.
“Peter Obi is a cherished member of our party,” he said.
“On our own, we have made him a presidential candidate. Sole presidential candidate. And that counts for something. We are working well together. There’s no crisis.”
He added that while supporters may not feel obliged to express gratitude to those who built the party, they should recognise that attacking the platform would ultimately hurt the candidates they support.
