The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, has said the NDC is doing its candidates a favour by providing them with a platform to contest elective positions in the 2027 general elections.
Mr Dickson, a senator, spoke on Wednesday night when he appeared as a guest on Prime Time, a programme on Arise TV.
The national leader was responding to criticisms of some NDC leaders reportedly made by some members of Obidient Movement, supporters of Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate.
Some supporters of Mr Obi’s had recently criticised some NDC leaders for being allegedly hostile to the camp of the presidential candidate.
The supporters also attacked some other NDC leaders for being allegedly aligned to some Labour Party members opposed to the ambition of Mr Obi.
But speaking during the Arise TV programme, Mr Dickson urged Mr Obi’s supporters to stop attacking the NDC or the party’s leaders because such criticism could jeopardise the platform upon which their preferred candidate is running.
“If you are genuinely supporting Peter Obi and you are disparaging me, the leader, or the platform itself. That is nonsensical,” he said.
The national leader also dismissed insinuations that the NDC should be grateful to Mr Obi and other top politicians for joining the party, stressing that Mr Obi or any other candidate of the NDC is not doing the party a favour in any way.
“Don’t make it look like anyone is doing NDC a favour. No one is.
“Rather, the NDC and I and my colleagues are doing people a favour by granting our platform,” he said.
Mr Dickson argued that the NDC had shown confidence in Mr Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso by adopting them as the party’s sole presidential candidate and vice-presidential candidate without internal disputes.
“Nobody paid shishi. So, if a presidential candidate didn’t pay shishi to be made the sole presidential candidate and sole vice-presidential candidate, that same party cannot be the one saying that small people are underprivileged,” he said.
“Shishi” is a Nigerian phrase for “nothing” often used to show that there is no monetary payment for something.
Mr Dickson also dismissed suggestions that he lacked the political clout to join the presidential race, saying that he could have flagged the NDC’s presidential flag.
“There’s no one more qualified than me to run for the presidency of Nigeria. None. I could have run, but for some reasons I did not want to,” he said.
