Senator Dickson welcomes defectors into NDC, highlights national political realignment

Politics

ABUJA, NIGERIA, April 4, 2026 (Agency Report) — Senator Seriake Dickson, National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), on Friday formally received defectors from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Labour Party (LP) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), describing the development as part of a growing national political realignment.

Speaking to journalists after the reception in Abuja, Dickson, who represents Bayelsa West in the Senate and is a former governor of Bayelsa State, confirmed that the entire leadership structure of the SDP in the FCT had collapsed into the NDC. He described the move as both symbolic and strategic.

“The state chairman, the FCT chairman of SDP and its entire structure, including executives, local government and ward chairmen, have all joined and have been fully integrated into the party,” Dickson said.

He stressed that the wave of defections was not limited to the FCT but reflected a broader national trend. “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,” he added.

Dickson emphasized that the NDC was built on inclusivity and national cohesion, offering a platform free from ethnic, religious, or regional bias. “This movement is for all Nigerians, without discrimination. We seek a new Nigeria driven by service, unity, development, and peace. Power is good, but it must be for service,” he said.

The event also featured the defection of Amanda Pam, a prominent Abuja politician and former Deputy National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Pam explained that her decision followed wide consultations with stakeholders across Abuja.

“I have served this country in different capacities. We have consulted widely on the need to join the NDC, and many believe it offers the right direction,” she said, highlighting her contributions to healthcare development in the FCT during her tenure as Mandate Secretary on Health.

Pam expressed confidence in the NDC’s electoral prospects, declaring that Abuja voters were ready for change. NDC FCT leader Alhaji Haruna Pai described her as a formidable grassroots mobiliser whose entry would strengthen the party’s influence in the territory.