By Naomi Sharang
The senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Seriake Dickson, has dumped Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and announced his membership of a new political platform, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dickson announced his defection on Thursday at a news conference in Abuja, where NDC, one of the two new political parties recently registered by INEC, was formally unveiled to the public.
The former Bayelsa governor also said that Nigeria risked drifting toward a one-party state if urgent steps were not taken to strengthen democratic competition.
He said that his decision followed months of consultations and deep reflection on the state of the country’s democracy as well as the internal challenges confronting his former party, PDP.
According to him, the creation of NDC is aimed at mobilising Nigerians across political divides who are concerned about the future of the country’s democratic system.
“The reason for the formation of NDC is to mobilise Nigerians who are concerned about the future of our democracy.
“We cannot sit back and watch the country drift into what is effectively a one-party state.
“Democracy thrives on strong opposition, healthy debate and credible alternatives, and that is what we intend to build,” he said.
The senator further stated that the emergence of the new political platform was not merely a reaction to the crisis within PDP but part of a broader effort to strengthen democratic institutions and restore confidence in Nigeria’s political process.
He said that Nigeria’s democracy required vibrant political competition, responsible leadership and active participation by citizens who were committed to preserving the principles of accountability, transparency and good governance.
The senator assured that NDC would provide a platform for Nigerians who feel politically marginalised or excluded from the existing structures of power, while also offering a new vision for national development.
“We are building a coalition of democrats, people who believe that Nigeria must remain a nation where political power is contested fairly and where citizens have real options.
“We invite all Nigerians who share this vision to come together so that we can strengthen our democracy and ensure that no single party dominates the political space to the detriment of the people,” he said.
Dickson stated that he had been a faithful and committed member of PDP since 2005.
“PDP was particularly appealing to me because it was an umbrella for all Nigerians – an umbrella for the big and the small, the strong and the weak,” he said.
The former governor said that he remained emotionally attached to PDP because of its historic role in Nigeria’s democratic development.
“No other party in Nigeria, from independence till date, has done for my people and for so-called minorities what the PDP did,” he added.
Dickson, however, lamented what he described as the party’s steady decline and internal crisis.
“Unfortunately, my beloved party is not only sick; it has been sick for a long time. The PDP today is in the intensive care unit, and the doctors are not smiling,” he said.
The senator blamed the situation on poor leadership and internal conflicts within the party, stressing: “The governors and other leaders must take responsibility for the avoidable, self-inflicted destruction of the PDP.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Protem Chairman of NDC, Sen. Cleopas Zuwogeh, presented Dickson with the membership card number 001 and handed over the party’s flag, the symbol and authority, to him.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
NNL/WAS
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq
