…warns against one party state, cautions INEC on partisan interference in ADC crisis
From Ismail Omipidan and Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The National Leader of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) and former Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, has formally received defectors from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Labour Party (LP) in the Federal Capital Territory, declaring that the growing influx signals a widening political realignment across Nigeria.
Addressing journalists after the event in Abuja, Dickson confirmed that the entire leadership structure of the SDP in the FCT had collapsed into the NDC, describing the development as both symbolic and strategic.
“The state chairman, the FCT chairman of SDP and its entire structure, meaning the executives, local government chairmen, ward chairmen and other officials, all came and were received by me and the leadership of the party. They have already been integrated,” he said.
He added that the influx of defectors was not an isolated development, but part of a broader national shift.
“What you are seeing in the FCT is happening in other states. At the right time, Nigerians will know. This is not a regional movement, it is national,” Dickson stated.
The reception also featured the formal defection of prominent Abuja politician, Barrister Amanda Pam, whose entry into the NDC drew enthusiastic reactions from party faithful.
Pam, who served as Deputy National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) between 2003 and 2007, and later as Mandate Secretary on Health in the FCT under former President Muhammadu Buhari, said her decision to join the NDC followed wide consultations with stakeholders across Abuja.
“My name is Amanda Pam. I have served this country in different capacities. Since we came here, Your Excellency, we have been consulting people. We have not been begging people. We have been consulting them on the need to come to NDC and everybody believes that NDC is the only way,” she said.
Highlighting her contributions to healthcare development in the FCT, Pam pointed to her tenure in office as evidence of her grassroots impact.
“I was appointed Mandate Secretary on Health for FCT, and I built many hospitals and rural health centres here. Every corner of this city, somebody must jump out and say, ‘Ah! Thank you,’” she said.
Expressing confidence in the party’s electoral prospects, she added, “If you give this party to us, you will be overwhelmed. Abuja voters know who they want to vote for. There is not much campaign here. Once you go around and say follow our party, they follow.”
She further outlined her mobilisation strategy, saying, “We shall stand. We shall meet the people. We shall talk to them. We shall dance with them. We shall sing with them and they will follow us.”
Earlier, the NDC FCT leader, Alhaji Harun Pai, described Pam as a formidable grassroots mobiliser, noting her longstanding political influence in Abuja.
“She is a well-known politician in Abuja. At that time, she was a bulldozer. I hope by coming to NDC she will put that bulldozer to another level. She has done perfectly well in FCT, and she is very, very welcome today,” he said.
In his address, Dickson emphasised that the NDC is built on inclusivity and national cohesion, stressing that it offers a platform free from ethnic, religious or regional bias.
“This movement is for the people of Nigeria, no discrimination on the basis of region, ethnicity or religion. We want a new Nigeria, a new style of politics — politics of service, unity, development and peace,” he said.
He described the party as a refuge for Nigerians disillusioned with existing political structures.
“Our doors are open to all Nigerians, especially those who are dissatisfied. They should come and find support with us. This is a safe haven,” he added.
Speaking on the INEC and ADC impasse, Dickson warned against any drift towards a one-party state, cautioning that weakening the opposition would undermine Nigeria’s democratic foundations.
“We are against Nigeria becoming a one-party state. Our country is too large and too diverse for that. There can be no democracy without opposition,” he said.
Drawing from Nigeria’s political history, he noted, “Even when the PDP produced successive presidents, none of them tried to turn Nigeria into a one-party state. Leadership is about restraint in the exercise of power.”
“A threat to one opposition party is a threat to all opposition parties. State institutions, whether judicial, security agencies or even INEC, must not be used in party matters,” he said.
While acknowledging that he did not have full details of the situation, Dickson stressed the importance of public perception.
“The impression of pressure, manipulation or inducement, whether real or not, is dangerous to our institutions, especially INEC. Its independence must not only exist, it must be seen,” he said.
He further underscored the need for a balanced political system, arguing that democracy thrives on strong competition.
“Nigeria needs a strong party in government and strong parties in opposition. That is how democracy survives,” he said, adding that political collaboration in the national interest has historical precedent in Nigeria.
Formally welcoming the defectors, he added, “Today, I receive you. This is symbolic. I present to you our membership card — the symbol of victory. Victory of good over evil. Victory of light over darkness. Victory for Nigeria.”
Reinforcing the party’s ideological stance, he concluded, “Power is good, but power must be for service.”
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