Banner Online News

Senator Seriake Dickson has fired a blistering rebuttal at Dr. Umar Ardo, dismissing his criticisms of the newly registered National Democratic Congress (NDC) as “misguided” and “sponsored propaganda,” while firmly asserting that the party’s legal status is beyond dispute.

In a strongly worded statement, Dickson, founder and national leader of the NDC, expressed shock at what he described as Ardo’s sustained attacks, especially given their long-standing political alliance. He accused Ardo of betraying both friendship and the broader struggle to strengthen Nigeria’s opposition space.

Dickson laid out a detailed timeline to counter allegations surrounding the party’s legitimacy, insisting that the NDC’s registration process predates Ardo’s political efforts. According to him, the application began as far back as 2017 but was stalled when the Independent National Electoral Commission , under Mahmood Yacoob, suspended the registration of new parties.

He explained that once the embargo was lifted, the NDC revived its application but was initially denied registration over what INEC claimed was a similarity between its proposed logo and that of the ruling party. Dickson described the decision as “shocking” and accused the electoral body of refusing even a reasonable offer to amend the logo.

Undeterred, the party sought judicial intervention, a move Dickson says proved decisive. The court, he noted, upheld the NDC’s constitutional right to freedom of association, ordered INEC to register the party, and the commission complied without appeal.

“The judgment has been accepted, implemented, and obeyed. The time for appeal has elapsed. There is nothing to contest,” Dickson declared, stressing that no individual or group has the legal standing to challenge the party’s registration.

He further revealed that INEC has since monitored the NDC’s activities, including its inaugural National Executive Committee meeting, where party structures were formally ratified and timelines for congresses and primaries outlined.

Turning the spotlight back on Ardo, Dickson suggested that his outbursts were driven more by frustration than principle, linking them to the failure of Ardo’s own political efforts. He disclosed that he had personally advised Ardo to seek legal redress in his own dealings with INEC, advice he claims was followed but complicated by internal disputes.

Dickson also questioned what he described as selective outrage, pointing out that other parties, such as the NDP, had similarly secured registration through court orders without attracting the same level of criticism.

“It is curious that he has remained silent about other parties registered under similar circumstances,” Dickson noted, hinting at ulterior motives behind the attacks.

Projecting confidence, the former Bayelsa governor said the NDC has already begun gaining nationwide traction, with what he described as “massive registrations” across Nigeria and in the diaspora. He portrayed the party as a refuge for politically displaced actors and a platform built on ideology, service, and reform.

“Our party is open to all Nigerians who are helpless and desirous of change,” he said. “This is not a mushroom party as some had hoped; it is a movement whose time has come.”

In a pointed warning to critics, Dickson dismissed ongoing narratives against the party as futile, insisting that the NDC’s rise is unstoppable despite attempts to undermine it.

He concluded with a defiant note, invoking Mahatma Gandhi to frame the party’s trajectory: from dismissal to resistance and ultimately, victory.

With his remarks, Dickson has not only drawn a hard line against detractors but also signaled an intensifying battle within Nigeria’s fragile opposition landscape, where alliances are fraying and new political forces are struggling for legitimacy and dominance.