A fresh rift has emerged within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after activist and Peter Obi ally, Aisha Yesufu, openly criticised the Party’s national leader, Seriake Dickson, over his handling of post-primary tensions.
Yesufu faulted the former Bayelsa State Governor following his appearance on Arise Television on Wednesday, accusing him of focusing on personal grievances rather than addressing concerns threatening party unity ahead of the 2027 general election.
The disagreement comes weeks after Peter Obi secured the NDC presidential ticket on May 30 and announced former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as his running mate.
During the television interview, Dickson cautioned Obi’s supporters against attacking the Party and its leadership, arguing that such actions could weaken the platform through which their preferred candidate hopes to contest the presidency.
The NDC leader also maintained that the Party was providing Obi and other aspirants the opportunity to seek elective office under its banner.
Reacting in a statement on Thursday, Yesufu delivered a scathing assessment of Dickson’s leadership style, saying his television appearance failed to inspire confidence in the Party or its prospects for victory in 2027.
“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.”
Yesufu argued that the NDC should be focused on winning power rather than celebrating its registration as an achievement in itself.
“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 stated.
“The registration of NDC should be a means to an end and not an end in itself.”
The activist further said Dickson missed an opportunity to calm aggrieved aspirants and unite supporters behind the Party’s electoral ambitions.
“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 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 winning the 2027 election.
“It looked as if you were fighting a war no one is waging with you. You don’t have anything to prove to anyone, just lead!”
Yesufu also accused Dickson of avoiding responsibility whenever controversies arise within the Party, urging him to acknowledge mistakes and strengthen internal accountability.
“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.”
According to her, the Party’s primary objective should remain defeating the ruling establishment in 2027 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.
Yesufu also revisited her failed bid for the NDC’s Senate ticket in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), insisting she respected Party procedures despite disagreements over the decision not to conduct primaries for the race.
She said she worked to calm disappointed supporters and Party members after the controversy, rather than inflame tensions.
“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.”
