NATIONAL leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, has said the opposition party is doing its candidates a favour by providing them with a platform to contest elective offices in the 2027 general elections.
News Point Nigeria reports that Dickson made the remarks on Wednesday during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme, where he dismissed suggestions that the NDC should be grateful to its 2027 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, or any other political figure for joining the party.
According to the former Bayelsa State governor, it is the party that has extended an opportunity to aspirants and candidates by granting them its platform, not the other way round.
“Don’t make it look like anyone is doing NDC a favour. No one is,” Dickson said.
“Rather, the NDC and I and my colleagues are doing people a favour by granting our platform.”
He also urged Obi’s supporters to refrain from attacking the party or its leadership, warning that such actions could undermine the political structure carrying their preferred candidate into the election.
“If you are genuinely supporting Peter Obi and you are disparaging me, the leader, or the platform itself. That is nonsensical,” he said.
Dickson noted that the NDC had demonstrated confidence in Obi by adopting him as its sole presidential candidate and selecting a vice-presidential candidate without internal disagreements or controversy.
“Nobody paid shishi. So, if a presidential candidate didn’t pay shishi to be made the sole presidential candidate and sole vice-presidential candidate, that same party cannot be the one saying that small people are underprivileged,” he said.
The senator also rejected suggestions that he lacked the political standing or credentials to seek the presidency himself, insisting that he was fully qualified to contest for the nation’s highest office.
“I could have run. There’s no one more qualified than me. There’s no one more qualified than me to run for presidential candidate. None,” he added.
Dickson further stated that the NDC had already attracted politicians and supporters from various parts of the country long before Obi and former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, joined the party.
He argued that the party’s growth and relevance were not dependent on any single individual.
Addressing reports of internal disagreements within the party, Dickson maintained that there was no crisis in the NDC despite speculation about tensions between party leaders and supporters of the presidential ticket.
“Peter Obi is a cherished member of our party,” he said.
“On our own, we have made him a presidential candidate. Sole presidential candidate. And that counts for something. We are working well together. There’s no crisis.”
Dickson added that while supporters may not necessarily feel obligated to thank those who built and sustained the party, they should understand that attacking the platform would ultimately damage the prospects of the candidates they support.
According to him, preserving party unity and respecting its leadership remain essential to the success of the NDC’s 2027 electoral ambitions.