Political activist and former senatorial aspirant Aisha Yesufu has openly faulted comments made by Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) National Leader Seriake Dickson, accusing him of failing to prioritize party unity following controversies surrounding the party’s recent primaries.
Key Highlights
- Aisha Yesufu criticized comments made by Seriake Dickson regarding the NDC’s recent primaries, accusing him of not prioritizing party unity.
- Dickson defended the primaries, citing the challenges of organizing party structures, congresses, conventions, and candidate selections within a short timeframe.
- Yesufu described parts of Dickson’s interview as “painfully appalling,” arguing that he appeared more focused on self-defense than addressing members’ grievances.
- Despite concerns about the primaries, Yesufu said she accepted the outcome and worked to calm tensions among party members in the Federal Capital Territory.
- She urged NDC leaders to acknowledge mistakes, strengthen internal unity, and focus on building a strong opposition platform capable of competing effectively in the 2027 general elections.
Yesufu’s reaction came after Dickson defended the conduct of the primaries during a media interview, where he acknowledged irregularities but appealed to aggrieved aspirants to remain patient as the party works through its challenges.
The former Bayelsa governor argued that the NDC, barely four months old, had been under immense pressure to complete membership registration, congresses, conventions, primaries and appeals within a limited period.
He also attributed some of the difficulties to provisions of the Electoral Act that require direct primaries and assured members that future exercises would be strengthened through technology-driven processes.
However, Yesufu expressed disappointment with Dickson’s remarks, describing portions of the interview as “painfully appalling.” According to her, the party leader appeared more concerned with defending himself than addressing the concerns of dissatisfied members and strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
She maintained that despite reservations about the conduct of the primaries, she accepted the outcome and encouraged her supporters to place the party’s broader objectives above personal grievances. Yesufu revealed that she personally engaged members across the Federal Capital Territory to calm tensions after some planned primary elections allegedly failed to hold.
The activist argued that Dickson’s foremost responsibility should be to reassure disappointed aspirants and mobilize supporters behind the party’s mission rather than engage in rhetoric that could deepen divisions.
According to her, accepting mistakes and taking responsibility for shortcomings would strengthen the NDC and improve future electoral processes.
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“The party is young. It was overwhelmed. Mistakes will be made. Accepting the mistakes and being accountable is how the party will get better,” she stated.
Yesufu further stressed that the NDC’s focus should remain on building a formidable opposition platform capable of winning the 2027 general elections rather than becoming consumed by internal disputes.
She insisted that no one was attempting to undermine Dickson’s leadership and urged party stakeholders to concentrate on uniting members behind a common goal of national transformation.
Concluding her remarks, Yesufu cited motivational speaker Jim Rohn, saying: “If what you did yesterday is still looking big to you today, then you are not doing enough.”
