By Peter Omopo
Former Bayelsa State Governor and current Senator Seriake Dickson has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dickson, speaking at a press conference on Thursday, described himself as a man of conviction and warned that the PDP is currently “in the Intensive Care Unit.” He criticized some PDP governors for weakening the opposition by aligning with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying their actions have deepened the party’s internal crisis and eroded its strength as a credible opposition.
“The PDP is sick and presently in the ICU,” Dickson said, adding that the country cannot afford to drift into a one-party state.
The development, he said, prompted him to seek a new political platform that better aligns with his aspirations. Dickson was formally received into the NDC, a newly registered political party approved by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
At the induction ceremony, Dickson was presented with the party’s official flag and issued a membership card numbered “001,” marking his position among the founding members of the NDC.
Dickson is a prominent figure in Nigeria’s opposition politics, having served as Bayelsa State Governor from 2012 to 2020 before being elected to the Senate in 2023 on the PDP platform.
