By John Paul
Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District and former Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that the once-dominant opposition party is “in the intensive care unit” due to deep internal crises and poor leadership.
Dickson announced his resignation on Thursday during a press conference at his residence in Abuja, bringing an end to more than two decades of association with the party.
The former governor said his decision to leave the PDP was painful but inevitable, insisting that the party had deteriorated significantly and was no longer capable of playing the role of a credible opposition in Nigeria’s political landscape.
“In compliance with the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party, I have formally communicated my resignation to the PDP, painfully and emotionally so. But that was the only realistic option available to me,” Dickson said.
Shortly after announcing his exit, Dickson unveiled his new political platform, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), where he was formally received by the party leadership and presented with membership card number 001.
The senator said the new party would offer Nigerians a credible political alternative and provide a platform to challenge the dominance of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to him, the NDC would be driven by a philosophy centred on service and genuine commitment to the people.
“So, I’m not uncomfortable in the opposition, but we want our party to win power, implement its ideology, and work for the benefit of our people. That’s why the motto of the NDC is ‘Service to the People.’ Power to the people is good, but service to the people is better,” he said.
Dickson declared that the party had come to stay and would work towards building what he described as a genuinely progressive Nigeria.
The NDC is one of two political parties recently registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Dickson also vowed to use the platform to challenge the ruling party’s political influence in Bayelsa State and beyond.
He warned against attempts to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, insisting that democracy can only thrive where there is a strong and vibrant opposition.
“Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. Anyone promoting one-party rule in Nigeria is pursuing a mirage,” he said.
Reflecting on his years in the PDP, Dickson said he joined the party in 2005 because it was built as a broad national platform that accommodated Nigerians from different backgrounds.
“I have been a faithful and committed member of the PDP since 2005. It was appealing because it was an umbrella for all Nigerians – the big and the small, the strong and the weak,” he said.
However, he lamented that the party had steadily declined due to what he described as self-inflicted crises caused by some of its leaders.
“Unfortunately, my beloved party is not only sick; it has been sick for a long time. The PDP today is in the intensive care unit, and the doctors are not smiling,” Dickson said.
He blamed the deterioration of the party largely on the conduct of its governors and other leaders.
“The governors and other leaders must take responsibility for the avoidable, self-inflicted destruction of the PDP,” he said.
Dickson also expressed disappointment with Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri for aligning with the APC, saying he would resist any political arrangement aimed at entrenching one-party dominance in the country.
The senator added that the ongoing crisis within the PDP had severely weakened its ability to position itself as a formidable opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The PDP that we kept hoping would provide a credible opposition has kept digging itself deeper into crisis. Unfortunately, it may not be in a position to be competitive in the 2027 general elections,” he said.
Reacting to Dickson’s defection, the chairman of the APC in Bayelsa State, Warman Ogoriba, dismissed the new party as politically insignificant and incapable of posing any threat to the ruling party.
“That party can never be a threat to us in the state. APC is formidable and has structures across the state. We are not disturbed by what he said today. You don’t win elections on social media,” Ogoriba said.