The Bayelsa West Senator, Seriake Dickson, has resigned his membership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), a newly registered political party.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Thursday, Mr Dickson revealed that he could no longer continue with the party due to internal conflicts.
The NDC is one of the two new political parties recently registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in preparation for the 2027 general elections.
Mr Dickson had previously contested and won the governorship election and his current Senate seat on the PDP platform.
“Today, I officially announced my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and formally declared my membership in the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), a party I founded and whose leadership has appointed me as its National Leader. The journey of the NDC has been long in the making, and I helped midwife the process that led to its creation.
“In making the decision to go with the NDC, I made it clear that Nigeria must never become a one-party state. It would have been easy for me to join the bandwagon of politicians decamping to the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), but that was never an option for me,” Mr Dickson said.
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Speaking further, he said the APC’s abuse and disrespect of the country’s diversity, its inability to effectively manage national security, and its failure to manage the economy in a manner that protects the welfare of Nigerians, resulting in widespread hunger, poverty, and disillusionment.”
This, he said, is further compounded by the mismanagement of our democratic space and the rejection of electoral reforms, leaving democratic liberties under threat after twelve years in power.
“My decision to set up the NDC has been a painful one because of the PDP’s contribution to me, the people of Bayelsa and all Nigerians, but the reality is that we must move forward. By my nature and background, I am not a politician of convenience but one guided by conviction, principles, and values,” he added.
