Why I Chose NDC Over APC – Seriake Dickson

National leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Seriake Dickson, has explained that he declined to join the ruling All Progressives Congress because he did not want to support a political system that could lead Nigeria towards a one-party state.

The former Bayelsa State governor gave the explanation on Thursday, September 17, 2026, when the management of Leadership Newspaper visited him.

Dickson said the growing crisis within his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, played a major role in his decision to pursue a different political path and eventually help establish the NDC.

According to him, the political situation at the time made the future of the PDP uncertain and raised concerns about the ability of the opposition to maintain a strong presence in the country.

Rather than move to the APC, Dickson said he and his political associates decided to create another platform that could provide Nigerians with an alternative and keep political competition alive.

He said his decision was based on his belief that Nigeria’s democracy should have more than one strong political force capable of challenging the party in power.

Dickson explained that joining the APC would have gone against his position on maintaining a competitive political system, particularly at a time when opposition parties were facing internal problems.

He added that the NDC was created as part of efforts to provide another political option for Nigerians and give opposition politics a new direction.

The former governor also said the new party had continued to grow since its formation and had developed into a platform capable of playing a major role in opposition politics.

Dickson maintained that the progress recorded by the NDC since its emergence showed that the decision to establish a new political organisation had produced a viable alternative rather than simply joining an existing party.