NDC’s primaries had flaws- Dickson admits 

Senator Seriake Dickson has appealed for patience and understanding among aspirants of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) following complaints over alleged irregularities in the party’s recently concluded primaries.

In a post on X after an interview with Arise Television, Dickson acknowledged that the exercise was not without flaws but urged aggrieved aspirants to consider the challenges facing the relatively new political party.

According to him, the NDC, which is barely four months old, had been compelled to conduct membership registration, congresses, a national convention, primaries, appeal processes and reconciliation efforts within a limited electoral timeframe.

He argued that the difficulties encountered by the party were not unique, noting that even more established political parties had faced similar challenges.

Dickson blamed the situation partly on provisions of the Electoral Act mandating direct primaries, maintaining that complaints about irregularities in such exercises had become widespread across political parties.

“The APC-led majority were wrong in foisting compulsory direct primaries on political parties and the country,” he said, adding that the issues arising from the process were “not peculiar to the NDC.”

The former Bayelsa State governor said that despite its limited lifespan and the large number of aspirants involved, the NDC had performed creditably in managing the exercise.

He disclosed that since the party’s formation, he had been working to strengthen internal confidence while welcoming prominent politicians into its fold. Following the primaries, he said he had been engaging stakeholders across the country to address grievances and disagreements.

Dickson also dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that winners had emerged from the party’s primaries, insisting that no official announcement had been made by the NDC.

He urged members of the public to disregard unofficial claims and await formal communication from the party through the appropriate channels.

“The results of party primaries are not announced like school results; they are communicated through formal channels,” he stated.

The senator revealed that the party’s second National Executive Committee meeting had already approved the establishment of a Reconciliation Committee to work with state caucus leaders and other stakeholders in resolving disputes arising from the primaries.

He assured party members that future primary elections would be improved through the adoption of technology.

“This is our first set of primaries, and it will also be the last to be conducted manually. The next primaries will be technologically driven and will have none of these issues,” he said.

Dickson expressed appreciation to party supporters for their financial contributions and sacrifices, noting that the NDC was entirely self-funded and did not have the advantage of incumbency.

He reaffirmed the party’s commitment to the success of its presidential ticket, comprising former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Calling for unity, Dickson urged members and supporters to avoid internal conflicts and rally behind all candidates of the party, from the presidential level to other elective positions.

He further called on state leaders and stakeholders who supervised the primaries to take responsibility for the reconciliation process, stressing that many of the candidates emerged through recommendations from local party structures rather than the national leadership.

“It is not a time to shift blames or dodge responsibilities,” he said, urging party leaders to work collectively to strengthen the ND

C ahead of future electoral contests.