The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, has called on Nigerian youths to mobilise nationwide for the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dickson said the party was targeting victory in the presidential election and a majority of seats in the National Assembly.
He made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving the National Coordinator of The Dickson Movement for Democracy, Emmanuel Ogbidi, and other members of the group at his residence.
During the meeting, the movement adopted Dickson as its Grand Patron and pledged to mobilise support for the party across the country.
The former Bayelsa State governor urged the group and other pro-democracy organisations to mobilise voters, protect their votes and promote issue-based campaigns.
He said the NDC was working towards winning the presidency on the first ballot and securing a comfortable majority in the National Assembly to implement its proposed reform and transformation agenda.
“The presidential election is very important to us. All elections are important. We want to win the presidency on the first ballot. We also want to win a majority of seats in the National Assembly, where our president and vice president can run the government of reform and transformation,” he said.
Dickson urged the movement to support all NDC candidates, including those contesting presidential, legislative and other elective positions.
He outlined the party’s proposed agenda to include improving national security, rebuilding education and healthcare, reorganising the economy, stimulating production, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, strengthening agriculture and manufacturing, and promoting national unity and inclusion.
The NDC leader said Nigeria required a new direction to address insecurity, poverty, unemployment and economic hardship.
Describing the party’s platform as a vehicle for national renewal, he urged young Nigerians to understand its policies and communicate them to voters.
“The ticket of the NDC is a ticket of restoration of our country,” he said.
Dickson also emphasised the importance of grassroots mobilisation, encouraging the movement to work with the party’s state structures, campaign coordinators and other officials.
He, however, cautioned members against violence, abusive language and personal attacks, insisting that campaigns should focus on presenting policy alternatives and protecting electoral integrity.
“We are not for violence. We are not for abuses. We want the ruling party to justify their re-election claim because, as I said, a re-election is a referendum on a sitting government,” he said.
He called for credible elections based on the principle of one person, one vote, urging Nigerians to reject vote-buying, intimidation and other practices that undermine the freedom of voters.
The former governor also criticised the use of economic hardship to influence electoral choices, saying poverty should not be exploited to compel citizens to support any political party.
Earlier, Ogbidi said the movement aligned with Dickson after assessing the country’s political environment and concluding that Nigeria needed a new generation of leaders committed to accountability, transparency, prudence and selfless service.
