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By Lawrence Agbo
A fresh internal dispute has surfaced within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after activist Aisha Yesufu criticised the party’s national leader, Seriake Dickson, over his comments following the party’s recently concluded primaries.
Yesufu, a prominent supporter of the party’s presidential candidate Peter Obi, accused Dickson of mishandling post-primary tensions and failing to project unity at a crucial political moment.
The disagreement followed Dickson’s interview on Arise Television, where he defended the party’s handling of the primaries and urged supporters of Obi to stop attacking the NDC leadership, insisting the party had provided a credible platform for all aspirants.
However, Yesufu said the remarks reflected poor leadership and missed an opportunity to rally the party’s base ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“This part of the interview was so painfully appalling to watch. It looked as if you were insecure and in competition with your Presidential Candidate,” she said describing the interview as disappointing.
She argued that Dickson should have used his first major post-primary media appearance to reassure aggrieved aspirants and strengthen confidence in the party’s direction rather than focusing on internal defensiveness.
According to her, the tone of the interview risked weakening trust among supporters at a time when cohesion was essential.
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“With all due respect sir, it looks as if you consider the NDC a Special Purpose Vehicle whose aim has been achieved just by being registered instead of a political party whose aim is to win the 2027 general election decisively,” Yesufu further stated.
She maintained that the party’s registration should be viewed as a starting point, not an achievement in itself, stressing that electoral victory must remain the primary objective.
The activist also said party leadership should prioritise reconciliation and inclusion, warning that sidelining dissatisfied members could damage the party’s prospects.
“As a leader of a political party, your number one job in that interview was to pacify aspirants many of whom are rightfully aggrieved and secondly to call on supporters to bear with the party and support it, but you ended up antagonising the very people you would need to win election,” she sa“Take all responsibility! The party is young. It was overwhelmed. Mistakes will be made. Accepting the mistakes and being accountable is how the party will get better,” Yesufu added.
She also urged the leadership to maintain focus on the broader national objective rather than internal disagreements.
“There is a whole battle ahead of us. Rescuing Nigeria from the current state it is in should be the main focus not people’s fragile ego!” she said.
The activist further referenced her own experience in the party’s FCT Senate race, noting that she followed due process despite her dissatisfaction with how the primary process was handled.
She explained that she encouraged her supporters to remain calm and focused on the party’s wider goals even after the process did not go as expected.
