Why I Rejected APC – Seriake Dickson Explains

National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Seriake Dickson, has explained why he rejected the option of joining the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, saying he did not want to support a political arrangement that could lead Nigeria towards a one-party system.

Dickson, a former Bayelsa State governor, spoke in Abuja on Thursday when the management of Leadership Newspaper visited him to present the notification of his selection as the newspaper’s 2026 Politician of the Year.

According to Dickson, the decline and internal crisis within his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, influenced his decision to pursue a different political path rather than move to the APC.

“I did not believe Nigeria should become a one-party state,” Dickson said.

He said the decision to establish the NDC was taken at a difficult period when the prospects of building a strong opposition platform appeared uncertain.

Rather than join the ruling party, Dickson said he and his political associates opted to establish a new platform that could provide another avenue for political participation and competition.

He described the NDC as a growing opposition platform, saying the party had made significant progress since its emergence.

“Months down the line, we have built a formidable party and a major opposition platform in Nigeria,” he said.

Dickson’s comments come as political parties and groups intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections. He has also recently called for a peaceful political environment and urged political actors to allow Nigerians to freely express their choices.

The NDC leader has maintained that his political project is centred on sustaining multiparty competition, while the party has positioned itself as an opposition platform ahead of the 2027 elections.