NDC: ‘You looked insecure; in competition with Obi’ — Aisha Yesufu tackles Dickson.
Activist and member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Aisha Yesufu, has taken a swipe at the party’s national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, accusing him of displaying insecurity and behaving as though he were competing with the party’s presidential flagbearer, Peter Obi.
Yesufu made the remarks in a post on X on Thursday while reacting to comments Dickson made during an interview on ARISE NEWS. In the interview, the senator defended the party’s leadership and responded to criticisms from some Obi supporters following the NDC primaries.
Expressing disappointment over Dickson’s comments, Yesufu described part of the interview as difficult to watch, saying his first major media appearance after the primaries should have been focused on uniting party members and promoting the party’s candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“This section of the interview was quite disappointing to watch. It gave the impression that you were insecure and saw yourself as being in competition with your presidential candidate,” she wrote.
“Your first exclusive interview after the primaries should have been used to market your candidates and inspire confidence in the party’s readiness for victory in 2027. Instead, the conversation seemed centred on you.”
She also dismissed Dickson’s insinuation that certain party members may have ignored internal regulations because of their popularity.
Although she said she would respond more comprehensively to the allegation later, Yesufu insisted that she adhered to the party’s procedures throughout the primaries and worked to calm supporters who were dissatisfied with developments in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“While I intend to address your suggestion that I did not follow party rules—a claim I find unfair considering I complied with the process—I chose to move on and encouraged my numerous supporters to focus on the bigger picture, even after you insisted there would be no Senate primaries,” she stated.
According to her, she travelled across parts of the FCT to engage and reassure supporters and party faithful who felt slighted after waiting for primaries that ultimately did not hold.
Yesufu further argued that Dickson appeared to regard the NDC as a vehicle established merely to secure registration rather than a political platform committed to winning power in 2027.
“With due respect, sir, it seems you view the NDC as a special-purpose platform whose mission ended with its registration, instead of a political party determined to secure a decisive victory in the 2027 general election,” she wrote.
She maintained that Dickson’s primary duty during the interview should have been to reconcile dissatisfied aspirants and encourage supporters to remain loyal to the party.
“As party leader, your foremost responsibility in that interview was to soothe the concerns of aspirants, many of whom have legitimate grievances, and then urge supporters to remain patient and committed to the party. Instead, you appeared to alienate the very people whose support is crucial for electoral success. Every vote matters, and effective leadership sometimes requires humility,” she said.
Yesufu stressed that no one was questioning Dickson’s position as party leader, insisting that the greater priority should be preparing for the 2027 elections and addressing the nation’s challenges.
“A much bigger struggle lies ahead. The real focus should be on rescuing Nigeria from its current difficulties, not on protecting fragile egos,” she added.
Earlier, Dickson had defended the NDC against criticism from some supporters of Peter Obi, arguing that attacks on the party and its leadership were detrimental to the presidential candidate’s political aspirations.
The former governor of Bayelsa State also insisted that the party remained united despite disagreements arising from its recent primaries and rejected claims that the NDC was facing an internal crisis.