Posted by Chinenye on Fri 18th Sep, 2026 - tori.ng
Former Bayelsa governor Seriake Dickson has revealed why he turned down the chance to join the ruling APC.
(Seriake Dickson. Photo by TheCable)
Seriake Dickson, leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, declined to join the All Progressives Congress because he did not want Nigeria to become a one-party state.
The former Bayelsa governor made this known on Thursday in Abuja when he received a 2026 Politician of the Year award.
After watching the Peoples Democratic Party decline, he decided not to move to APC.
Instead, he helped create the NDC as an alternative political force to keep Nigeria's multiparty democracy alive.
Dickson said when they started the NDC, few expected it would grow into anything significant.
But months in, the party has become a major opposition platform challenging the ruling party.
He thanked Nigerians and NDC members for supporting the project.
He also praised Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates, for their contributions.
Dickson called on NDC members to move past disagreements from the party's nomination process and focus on winning the 2027 elections.
He urged President Tinubu and security agencies to allow political parties to campaign freely and peacefully.
He dedicated the award to NDC members and Nigerians who backed the party's push to strengthen Nigeria's democratic system.