Dickson Rules Out Contesting Presidency with Tinubu in 2027
By: Abudu Olalekan
Dickson rules out contesting presidency with Tinubu in 2027. Straight up. No long talk.
I mean, picture the scene. Senator Seriake Dickson at his residence in Abuja, just after making that big announcement. Reporters crowded round. Cameras clicking. He had just told everyone he done resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party and joined this new Nigeria Democratic Congress. The air was thick with questions about what it all means for 2027. And the man? He looked calm. Focused. Like someone who already made up his mind long time ago.
The former Bayelsa State governor, now representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, come out clear. He no get immediate plans to challenge President Bola Tinubu for the presidency next election. His focus is different. Building something solid. A real platform that can pull Nigerians from all sides, not just chasing personal ambition.
He said it on the sidelines of that press conference. The one right after he dropped the resignation news. “We are actually aiming to take over power at the centre,” Dickson told us. “And it is possible.” He paused for a second. Then added, “It’s human beings that made up a party. It’s not the name. Is that not so?”
You could feel the weight in his words. He pointed to the anger and hunger across Nigeria after 2023. The disenchantment everywhere. With a credible platform like the one they building, he believes anything can happen. People are tired. They want change that feels real.
But when the question came direct – is this move part of a bigger plan to face Tinubu in 2027? – he shut it down fast. No hesitation. “Let me tell you right away. That’s not our focus.” Him and his colleagues busy laying foundation first. Making NDC strong enough to attract as many people as possible. Presidential race talk can wait.
He even played down all the noise about zoning and who gets the ticket. “Politics is much more than that,” he said. “We want to first build a party. We don’t want to make the mistake that other parties are making.” All the arguments now about who runs and which region comes first? He thinks that’s putting cart before horse. “Let’s put the party first. When it gets to that time, things will sort themselves out.”
Then he added something interesting. “But I am not, for now, looking at that (presidency), even though I am eminently qualified, as you can see.” You could hear the confidence there. But he repeated it – the focus now is the platform, not the seat.
Dickson opened the invitation wide after that. He called on politicians across the country, no matter their ambitions. Presidential, governorship, senatorial, House of Reps, state assembly, even chairmanship and councillorship. “Come to the Nigeria Democratic Congress. With NDC, the game has changed.”
Some people worry about infiltration. You know how it is in Nigerian politics – ruling party people sneaking in as moles. He addressed it direct. “We are open for all. If any situation arises, we’ll know how to handle it.” But that’s not even their main concern. They want good people from every corner of the country. “And I assure you, with the calibre of people from all over Nigeria that are coming to us, NDC will spring a surprise. We’ll win elections in so many places.”
He made one thing very clear though. This NDC should not be mixed up with the old Niger Delta Congress. “I’m a pan-Nigerian politician,” Dickson explained. The old one came from different time, when parties were mostly regional. “But Nigeria is far from regional parties now.”
The resignation from PDP wasn’t sudden. He announced it formally on Thursday, citing deep internal crisis and poor leadership. The party that once dominated Nigerian politics has fallen far. Dickson sounded emotional about it. He still attached to PDP because of its historic role in bringing democracy. But he lamented how it deteriorated. “The governors and other leaders must take responsibility for the avoidable, self-inflicted destruction of the PDP.”
He urged Nigerians who want stronger democracy to come join NDC. A credible alternative, he called it. At the same time, he warned against any idea of one-party dominance. “Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. Anyone promoting one-party rule in Nigeria is pursuing a mirage.”
Listening to him, you sense this isn’t just another defection. It’s someone trying to build from ground up. The hunger in the land is real. People tired of same old stories. Whether NDC can actually change the game? Time will tell. But Dickson talking like a man who believes it can. He done left the old umbrella that no longer cover plenty people. Now he building new one. Bigger. More national.
In the end, his message was simple. Party first. People first. The rest go sort later. Nigerian politics never dull, abi? This move just added fresh twist to the long road to 2027.
