ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Seriake Dickson, has admitted that irregularities marred the party’s recently concluded primaries and appealed to aggrieved aspirants to remain patient as the party works through the challenges associated with its rapid expansion.
Dickson made the appeal in a statement shared on his official X handle on Thursday, following an interview he granted on Arise Television, where he addressed complaints arising from the primary elections.
He acknowledged that the exercise was not perfect but urged dissatisfied aspirants to consider the circumstances under which the party conducted the process.
“Last night, I had an interview with Arise TV, where I sympathised with our aspirants over some noticeable irregularities in our just-concluded primaries. I noted that, while not claiming that the exercise was perfect, I urged all of them to bear with the party in view of the circumstances we are managing,” he said.
According to the former Bayelsa State governor, the challenges experienced during the primaries are not peculiar to the NDC, noting that even larger and more established political parties have grappled with similar issues.
“We are just four months old and have been thrown into the middle of a very tight electoral timeframe, within which we had to carry out membership registration, congresses up to the national convention, primaries, appeal processes, and now the reconciliation phase,” he said.
Dickson blamed many of the complaints on the direct primary system prescribed by the Electoral Act, arguing that political parties across the country have struggled with the process.
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“My views on the Electoral Act have been clear: the APC-led majority were wrong in foisting compulsory direct primaries on political parties and the country. Complaints about irregularities in direct primaries are pervasive across all parties and are not peculiar to the NDC,” he stated.
Despite the concerns raised by some aspirants, the NDC leader maintained that the party performed creditably, considering its age and the volume of aspirants it had to accommodate.
“As a matter of fact, considering the age of the NDC and the teeming number of aspirants we have had to manage, we have done quite well,” he said.
Dickson also dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that winners had already emerged from the party’s primaries, insisting that no official announcement had been made.
“No party has announced any set of winners from its primaries, and neither has the NDC. The public should disregard any such claims in circulation, especially on social media, and await the party’s formal submissions through the appropriate channels,” he said.
The NDC national leader explained that the party had anticipated post-primary disputes and had already established a reconciliation mechanism to address grievances.
“In anticipation of these challenges, the 2nd NEC meeting approved the composition of a Reconciliation Committee to work with state caucus leaders and other stakeholders in managing grievances,” he said.
He assured party members that future primary elections would be significantly improved through the deployment of technology.
“This is our first set of primaries, and it will also be the last to be conducted manually. The next primaries will be technologically driven and will have none of these issues,” he said.
Dickson thanked party members and supporters for their financial contributions and sacrifices, describing the NDC as a self-funded political movement operating without the backing of government officeholders.
“I appreciate their donations, contributions, and sacrifices made on behalf of the party. They remain valuable members of our party regardless of the outcome of the primaries,” he said.
Calling for unity ahead of the elections, Dickson urged members to rally behind the party’s candidates and presidential ticket.
“We are in this together, and we are all committed to ensuring the success of our party and our presidential team, their Excellencies Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso,” he said.
He further charged state party leaders to take responsibility for the reconciliation process, stressing that they played central roles in organising and supervising the primaries.
“It is not a time to shift blame or dodge responsibilities. Since they midwifed and managed the process of the primaries, they should equally help in supporting the party in coordinating the reconciliation process,” he added.