By Nkechi Eze
The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, has announced a major political realignment in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) following the defection of key structures of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the planned entry of prominent members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) into the NDC.
Dickson made the disclosure while receiving Barrister Amanda Pam, an ADC senatorial aspirant in the FCT, alongside members of her political structure who are set to join the NDC. He also confirmed that the FCT Chairman of the SDP and his entire structure had formally defected to the party.
According to him, the development marks a significant boost for the NDC’s growing national presence and reinforces its vision of building a broad-based political movement for Nigerians.
“Well, thank you very much. I just made mention of that. Not some defectors, the state chairman, the FCT chairman of SDP and his entire structure, meaning his EXCO, his local government chairman, his ward chairman and other officials, all came here and were received by me and the leadership of the party and have already been made part of the NDC,” Dickson said.
The former Bayelsa State governor explained that the NDC was founded as a people-centred political platform committed to inclusive politics and national development.
“As I said, this NDC was set up for the people of Nigeria, no discrimination on the basis of religion or ethnicity. We want a new Nigeria, a new style of politics, politics of service, politics of unifying our people, politics of bringing development and peace,” he said.
“Our doors are open for all Nigerians, and also for those who are dissatisfied in their current parties. The entirety of SDP is with us now in FCT.”
Dickson further revealed that similar political movements are quietly taking place in other states across the country and would soon become publicly evident.
“And the same thing is happening in other states across the country, silently. At the right time, the public will know. In FCT, we are very good,” he said.
He added that the entry of political actors from different parties would strengthen the NDC’s electoral prospects.
“Look at the Iron Lady of FCT leading the ADC and also some APC members to join us. These are people who make things happen. If you have all of these people put together, there is no way a party cannot win,” he said.
Dickson noted that the NDC is not a regional party but a national political movement open to Nigerians from all parts of the country.
“The NDC is not a regional party, far from it. Those who lead a party must come from somewhere, but the party’s outlook is national. As you can see from the composition here, people from all over Nigeria are involved,” he said.
The NDC leader also used the occasion to call on politicians dissatisfied with their current parties to consider joining the new platform.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on those who are dissatisfied, I don’t want to say stranded in other parties to come to this safe haven and receive support from the NDC,” he added.
Speaking on the party’s internal processes, Dickson disclosed that the NDC had already held its first National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, and that preparations were underway for party congresses nationwide.
“As you know, we held our first NEC which was monitored by INEC. INEC was there with us. Decisions and dates have been taken. By the end of this month, all our congresses will be concluded,” he said.
Dickson also expressed concern about developments affecting opposition politics in the country, warning against any attempt to weaken Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.
“The NDC, as I have said repeatedly, is against Nigeria becoming a one-party state. Our nation is too large and too diverse for that. There can be no democracy without opposition,” he said.
He cautioned against alleged interference in the internal affairs of political parties, noting that such actions could undermine democratic institutions.
“The image and impartiality of INEC must be above board. It is not enough that INEC is doing its job impartially, it must be seen by all Nigerians that it is truly independent,” he said.
Dickson also urged leaders of the ADC to resolve their internal issues, stressing that strong opposition parties are essential for the health of Nigeria’s democracy.
“If you really love Nigeria and our democracy, this nation needs a strong party in government and strong parties in opposition,” he added.
Earlier, Barrister Amanda Pam explained that her decision to align with the NDC was based on the party’s vision and the leadership of Dickson.
“NDC is special. First of all, our national leader is special, a man who will stand and tell you the history of the political journey in Nigeria. Therefore, we are here to support because we are people looking for a viable opposition party,” she said.
Pam disclosed that she and her supporters would be bringing a large political structure into the party in the FCT.
“We are going to bring more than 1,775 executives apart from so many other people in the Federal Capital Territory,” she said.
Also speaking at the event, a former SDP chairman who joined the NDC announced that the entire party structure in the FCT had collapsed into the new platform.
“Today, I decided to collapse all the structure of the SDP in the city. Across the 62 wards and the six area councils, we are all here today and all of them have already received their membership cards,” he said.
The development signals a growing momentum for the NDC as it seeks to position itself as a major opposition force ahead of future political contests in Nigeria.
