Dickson Explains Exit from PDP, Formation of NDC

The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, has explained the reasons behind his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and establish a new political platform.

Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, disclosed this while speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Wednesday.

According to him, a vibrant opposition is essential to the survival of democracy, stressing that he remains committed to opposition politics despite the challenges associated with it.

He argued that many politicians join ruling parties to gain access to political patronage and government support rather than for ideological reasons.

“We should encourage people to be in opposition because there’s no democracy without opposition,” Dickson said.

He alleged that some politicians align with ruling parties to benefit from government influence, appointments and contracts.

“People join the ruling party to be assisted by so-called federal might, to write results and have security support to terrorise and humiliate their people in the name of rigging elections, and so on.

“I am not a politician of that mode,” he stated.

The former Bayelsa governor recalled that he remained in the PDP after the party lost power at the federal level in 2015, describing himself as one of the first opposition governors to experience the consequences of that political shift.

“Since 2015, when the PDP lost federal power, I was the first opposition governor who bore the brunt of that federal loss of power.

“I have been in it for some time as an opposition politician. So, being in the opposition doesn’t scare me,” he added.

Dickson maintained that strong opposition parties are necessary for accountability, democratic governance and the protection of political pluralism in the country.