The National Leader of the National Democratic Congress, Senator Seriake Dickson, has declared that the newly formed opposition party is prepared to defend multi party democracy and offer Nigerians what he described as a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the party’s inaugural national convention held in Abuja on Friday, Dickson said the NDC was founded on the principles of national unity, inclusion, service, youth and women empowerment, and the protection of democratic values.
Addressing delegates and supporters from across the country, the former Bayelsa State governor described the gathering as historic, noting that no political party in Nigeria’s history had gained such rapid national acceptance within just three months of formation.
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Dickson said: “First, they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they attack you, and then you win.”
He disclosed that efforts to establish the party dated back to 2017 after he became dissatisfied with what he described as the weakening of the foundations and ideals of the Peoples Democratic Party.
According to him, the NDC eventually secured registration after a legal battle that culminated in a Federal High Court judgment delivered in December 2025, compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the party in February this year.
Dickson commended the judiciary for upholding the constitutional right to freedom of association and also praised INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, for complying with the court ruling.
He, however, warned against attempts to weaken opposition politics in the country, insisting that Nigeria needed strong opposition parties to preserve democratic balance.
“Nigeria must never become a one party state. Any political system without a credible opposition is a dictatorship,” he declared.
The former governor also confirmed that former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, had officially joined the NDC following consultations held in recent weeks.
He described their entry into the party as a major political development that reflected a convergence of experience, administrative competence, and national reach.
Dickson praised supporters of both the Obidient Movement and the Kwankwasiyya Movement for embracing the NDC project, assuring Nigerians that the coalition would not disappoint.
The senator accused the APC administration of worsening insecurity, economic hardship, poverty, and national division since assuming power in 2015, adding that the NDC was created to provide a new direction for the country.
According to him, the party would pursue politics based on dialogue, consensus building, inclusion, and respect for all Nigerians rather than politics driven by division and intolerance.
He stressed that the NDC was not founded out of hatred for political opponents but out of concern for the future of Nigeria’s democracy.
“Our brothers and friends in the APC are not our enemies. We simply disagree with the direction the APC has taken Nigeria,” he said.
Dickson also used the occasion to recount his political journey through the opposition, beginning from his involvement in the Movement for Democracy and Justice, Alliance for Democracy, and later the ANPP and PDP.
He said despite intense pressure and inducements over the years, he refused to defect to the ruling party because of his commitment to sustaining opposition politics in Nigeria.
The NDC leader further disclosed that the convention would affirm and elect the party’s protem leadership before the process of selecting candidates for elective offices, including the presidency, begins.
He urged party members and supporters to avoid violence and instead embrace peaceful political engagement as preparations intensify for future elections.
“Nigerians will continue to resist authoritarianism, resist state capture, and defend multi party democracy through the NDC,” Dickson stated.
