By Nkechi Eze
Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has firmly defended the legitimacy and independence of the newly formed political party, dismissing allegations that it is a proxy for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and insisting that its registration is legally secure.
Speaking during a live appearance on Focus Nigeria on African Independent Television (AIT), the senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District in the 10th Senate said the party’s registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) followed due process and strict compliance with a court order.
The former governor of Bayelsa State stressed that there is no pending litigation challenging the party’s registration, noting that INEC had already implemented the court’s directive.
“There’s no litigation against NDC registration,” Dickson stated during the interview. “INEC has already implemented the court order and cannot reverse it.”
He strongly rejected speculation that the party was created to weaken opposition forces or to serve the political interests of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing such claims as unfounded propaganda.
“I’m used to this kind of bully tactics,” he said. “I’m not someone who is swayed by propaganda and blackmail. No one has opposed the policy and administration of President Tinubu more than me.”
Dickson explained that the NDC was established as an ideological platform aimed at bringing together Nigerians who share common democratic values and aspirations. According to him, while the party remains open to engagement with other political actors, it is not aligned with any existing political party.
He emphasized that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the right of citizens to freely associate politically, warning against attempts to pressure individuals into joining particular parties.
“No one can blackmail or bully me or any other Nigerian to belong to a party or form a party or take one view or the other,” Dickson said. “That’s blackmail, and you don’t do that.”
Responding to critics who have suggested that he and his supporters should align with other opposition platforms such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) or the Labour Party Nigeria, the senator insisted that Nigerians must be free to make independent political choices.
“Democracy means you have the right and the freedom to be in the ADC, to be in the APC, to be in the Labour Party,” he said. “Thousands of Nigerians also have a right to be in the NDC. We have no duty or obligation to belong to the ADC or to be available to support any presidential aspirant that people support.”
The senator also alleged that some individuals who publicly claim to belong to the opposition are quietly aligned with the current administration.
“Most of the people who say they are opposition are the people in bed with the present administration,” he asserted, while maintaining that his political stance has remained consistent over the years.
Reflecting on the criticism directed at the NDC, Dickson suggested that the resistance faced by the party is typical of emerging political movements. Quoting Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, he said: “First they will ignore you, then they will laugh at you, then they will attack you… and when that happens, then you win.”
Dickson further made it clear that the NDC has no intention of dissolving into any other political platform. Instead, he declared that the party is positioning itself to compete directly with established parties in future elections.
“The NDC will field candidates for all positions in the next general elections, from the Presidency all the way down to the state houses of assembly, and even the council polls,” he said, adding confidently that the party is entering the political arena to contest and defeat what he described as the “supposedly big parties.”
His remarks come amid evolving political alignments and heightened activity across Nigeria’s political landscape as parties and political figures reposition ahead of the next electoral cycle.
