• Says compulsory direct primaries overstretched parties, fuelled confusion
Sunday Aborisade and Alex Enumah in Abuja
The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, has attributed the disputes and controversies that trailed the party’s recent primaries to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which made direct primaries compulsory for political parties.
He, however, added that the provision has overstretched party structures and created avoidable internal tensions.
Dickson, who spoke on Arise News Night, yesterday, said the legal requirements for direct primaries, though well-intentioned, has proven difficult to implement, especially for new and fast-growing political parties such as the NDC.
He said, “The challenges we are seeing are not peculiar to the NDC. They are a direct consequence of the Electoral Act’s imposition of mandatory direct primaries.
“Even established parties with deeper structures and resources are struggling with the logistics, disputes, and litigation that follow such exercises.”
He explained that the party’s rapid expansion, combined with the statutory requirement for all-inclusive participation in candidate selection, created operational bottlenecks that led to multiple and sometimes conflicting outcomes in various states.
Dickson said, “What the law has done is to transfer enormous logistical responsibility to political parties without corresponding support or flexibility.
“When you conduct direct primaries across a fast-growing membership base, you will inevitably have disputes and competing claims.”
Despite the challenges, the former Bayelsa State governor insisted that the NDC remained stable and focused, stressing that the leadership was actively resolving disputes arising from the primaries before submitting final lists to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said, “There is no crisis in the NDC. What we are managing is the reality of rapid growth under a rigid electoral framework. We have put in place internal mechanisms to review complaints and ensure fairness in the final outcome.”
Dickson maintained that allegations of monetisation of party tickets were unfounded, insisting that nominations were strictly based on party processes and merit.
He said, “The NDC does not sell tickets. Nobody has paid money to me or to the leadership in exchange for nominations. What we expect from aspirants is commitment and capacity, not cash transactions.”
Specifically cautioning supporters of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, Dickson urged them to avoid disparaging the party’s leadership or undermining its cohesion on social media and in public discourse.
“Supporters must be disciplined. Disparaging the leadership of the NDC weakens the very platform their preferred candidates depend. We welcome robust engagement, but not attacks that threaten internal unity,” he said.
