NDC Convention: I was threatened, intimidated during Bayelsa elections

The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, has said he led the opposition party to retain political control in Bayelsa State at a time the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) sought to take over the state’s political structure.

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Mr Dickson, who currently represents Bayelsa West Senatorial District in the Senate, said he faced inducement, threats and intimidation because of the role he played in sustaining the opposition in the state.

He claimed that during the period, many people were attacked, with some killed and others maimed.

Mr Dickson made the remarks while addressing delegates at the NDC’s national convention in Abuja on Saturday.

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He served as governor of Bayelsa State for two terms from 2012 to 2020 on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In 2015, the APC took over as the party in power at the federal level.

Before he became governor, Mr Dickson, a former policeman, had served as the chairman of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Bayelsa State, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the PDP administration of Goodluck Jonathan in the state, and then a member of the House of Representatives, also on the PDP ticket.

“We became opposition, and the lot fell on me in Bayelsa to hold a force and prevent the APC, the rampaging APC at the time, from overrunning the home base; I led the opposition. There were inducements, there were threats, there were intimidations, but I resisted them all.

“People were killed, people were maimed, people were dealt with, even in my own election. We won in a very difficult and hard way. So, in me, as most of you know, we’re the hard boys opposition,” he said.

Mr Dickson did not specifically identify the political forces he referred to or the exact election period in question, but his comments appeared to refer to the intense political battles involving the APC during his gubernatorial re-election and in subsequent National Assembly elections.

The NDC is one of the two newly registered political parties approved by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 general elections. The other is the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA).

Mr Dickson, who has emerged as the face of the party since its registration, has helped raise its national profile. At the National Assembly, some opposition lawmakers have increasingly viewed the NDC as a viable platform for re-election bids, while several aspiring lawmakers are also gravitating towards the party.

Last week, 17 members of the House of Representatives defected from their respective parties to the NDC. A similar development occurred in the Senate, where the Minority Whip, Tony Nwoye, resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to join the party.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, also acknowledged the party’s growing influence during Thursday’s plenary, commending Mr Dickson’s leadership and expressing satisfaction that the NDC leader is a member of the 10th Senate.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the party has resolved to zone its presidential ticket for the 2027 election to the south, a move that will favour Peter Obi.

READ ALSO: NDC has no court case threatening its registration – Seriake Dickson

Dickson speaks on issues at the National Assembly

Mr Dickson, a former policeman, remains one of the most vocal opposition figures in the Senate and has publicly opposed key government policies, including the emergency rule declared in Rivers State.

Speaking on his stance in the National Assembly, the senator said his opposition role was not driven by convenience but by the need to resist the emergence of a one-party state.

“In the National Assembly, for all of you who are following, you know the positions we have taken. We have taken those positions because it is…to do so, not because it is convenient, not because it’ll win us favours. But it again shows that we have consistently chosen a difficult but necessary path that will lead to a multi-party democracy, respect for all citizens and a better Nigeria.