Former governor of Bayelsa State and current representative of Bayelsa West Senatorial District in the Senate, Senator Seriake Dickson, has officially left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dickson made the announcement at a press briefing on Thursday at his residence in Abuja, citing the PDP’s decline as the main reason for his defection. He described the party, once a symbol of hope and political excitement, as “sick and presently in the ICU.”
He also accused some PDP governors of weakening the party by aligning with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a move he said worsened internal conflicts and eroded the PDP’s credibility as a viable opposition platform.
“The current state of the PDP left me with no choice but to pursue a political path that aligns with my aspirations,” Dickson said, explaining his decision to join the NDC, a party recently approved by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Following his announcement, Dickson was formally welcomed into the NDC, receiving the official party flag and a membership card numbered “001,” marking him as one of the party’s pioneering members.
Dickson, a prominent figure in Nigeria’s opposition politics, governed Bayelsa State from 2012 to 2020 and was elected to the Senate in 2023 under the PDP.
His defection comes amid mounting concerns over factionalism within the PDP and a rising trend of party members leaving ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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