Human rights activist and politician Aisha Yesufu has accused Senator Henry Seriake Dickson of placing personal relevance above party unity following his comments on the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries.
Yesufu’s remarks came after Dickson’s appearance on Arise News TV on Wednesday night, during which he discussed the NDC’s recently concluded primaries and acknowledged reports of irregularities.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Yesufu expressed disappointment with Dickson’s comments and leadership style. According to her, the former Bayelsa State governor failed to reassure dissatisfied party members and instead appeared “insecure and in competition with your Presidential Candidate.”
“Your first one on one interview after primaries and instead of selling your candidates and giving confidence to people on how set the road to winning the 2027 election was, you made it about yourself,” Yesufu stated in an open letter to Dickson.
The NDC aspirant said she respected the party’s processes even after Dickson maintained there would be no Senate primaries.
“I let things go and asked my teeming supporters to focus on the bigger picture,” she said. “I toured the FCT pacifying my supporters and party people who rightfully felt disrespected as they were all waiting at their respective headquarters for primaries that never happened.”
She further noted: “I played field politics, I never waited for anyone to give me ticket.”
Yesufu also faulted Dickson for failing to calm aggrieved aspirants.
“As a leader of a political party, your number one job in that interview was to pacify aspirants many of whom are rightfully aggrieved and secondly to call on supporters to bear with the party and support it but you ended up antagonizing the very people you would need to win election. Every vote counts. A leader must stoop to conquer.”
She warned that the party risks viewing its registration as an accomplishment rather than a means to secure political power.
“With all due respect sir, it looks as if you consider the NDC a Special Purpose Vehicle whose aim has been achieved just by being registered instead of a Political Party whose aim is to win the 2027 General election decisively. The registration of NDC should be a means to an end and not an end in itself.”
Addressing the controversy surrounding the primaries, Yesufu accused Dickson of avoiding responsibility whenever issues arise.
“It is also interesting how as a leader I see you shifting the blame with any process that doesn’t go well or is called out. The party is young. It was overwhelmed. Mistakes will be made. Accepting the mistakes and being accountable is how the party will get better.”
She emphasised that no one was challenging Dickson’s leadership position within the party.
“No one can take away your leadership of NDC, no one is interested in that. The focus is on Nigeria is winning the 2027 election. It looked as if you are fighting a war no one is waging with you.”
Yesufu concluded her message with a quote from motivational speaker Jim Rohn: “If what you did yesterday is still looking big to you today, then you are not doing enough.”
She added: “There is a whole battle ahead of us. Rescuing Nigeria from the current state it is in, should be the main focus not people’s fragile ego.”
Dickson, who leads the NDC, has yet to publicly respond to Yesufu’s statement.
The party, which was registered earlier this year, is positioning itself as a third-force platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.
