Activist and political ally of Peter Obi, Aisha Yesufu, has condemned the national leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, over his handling of the fallout of the party’s primaries.
The activist-turned politician was reacting to comments made by Dickson during his interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, during which he addressed burning issues affecting the party in the aftermath of the primaries.
Peter Obi had earlier emerged as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election and named Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano, as his running mate.
Speaking during the interview, Dickson urged Obi’s supporters to stop attacking the party or its leaders, noting that such actions undermine the political vehicle conveying their preferred candidate.
Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, said the opposition party is doing Obi and other candidates a favour by giving them the opportunity to contest elective positions on its platform.
Yesufu contested for the party’s senate ticket in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) but did not make it through following the party’s decision not to hold a primary for the FCT senate race.
Reacting to Dickson’s comments in a statement on Thursday, the Yesufu criticised the party national leader’s style of leadership in the NDC, making particular reference to his performance in the Arise Television interview where she said the ex-governor failed to portray the party in glowing light.
Yesufu said Dickson’s interview appearance reflected poorly on his leadership and accused him of appearing more concerned about himself than projecting confidence in the party’s chances ahead of the election.
“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.
“Your first one-on-one interview after primaries and instead of selling your candidates and giving confidence to people on how set the road to winning the 2027 election was, you made it about yourself.”
She argued that the NDC should function as a political vehicle focused on electoral victory rather than merely celebrating its existence.
“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,” she said.
“The registration of NDC should be a means to an end and not an end in itself.”
The activist said Dickson should have used the interview to reassure disappointed aspirants and rally supporters instead of alienating them.
“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,” Yesufu said.
“Every vote counts! A leader must stoop to conquer!. No one can take away your leadership of NDC, no one is interested in that! The focus is on
Nigeria is winning the 2027 election!
“It looked as if you are fighting a war no one is waging with you. You don’t have anything to prove to anyone, just lead!”
She added that Dickson should stop deflecting responsibility for internal issues and instead own up to mistakes made by the party.
“It is also interesting how as a leader I see you shifting the blame with any process that doesn’t go well or is called out,” she said.
“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.”
She said the bigger objective should be winning the 2027 election and addressing Nigeria’s challenges.
“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 added.
The activist further reflected on her performance in the FCT senate race, noting that she followed due process and refrained from escalating tensions despite her dissatisfaction with how events unfolded.
“While I take my time to properly address your allusion of me not playing by the rules which I consider very disingenuous seeing how I followed the process and even when you had insisted there would be no primaries for senate I let things go and asked my teeming supporters to focus on the bigger picture,” she said.
“I toured the FCT pacifying my supporters and party people who rightfully felt disrespected as they were all waiting at their respective headquarters for primaries that never happened.
“I played field politics, I never waited for anyone to give me a ticket.”
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