Senator Seriake Dickson, the two-term former Governor of Bayelsa State and serving Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial 6, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The defection was confirmed on Thursday, March 5, 2026 during a press conference at the NDC National Secretariat in Wuse II, Abuja, where Dickson arrived flanked by loyalists and several members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly. His move marks one of the most significant political realignments in recent years, particularly within the South-South region.
Addressing members of his political structure earlier in the day, Dickson reportedly described the move as a strategic step toward building a platform that reflects the aspirations of the Niger Delta and Nigerians at large, free from entrenched internal divisions.
Senator Dickson criticized the current state of the PDP, likening the party to a patient in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and said the time had come for him to chart a new political course.
According to him, his political journey has always been guided by principles, loyalty to causes and a commitment to democratic ideals.
“I am not a regular Nigerian politician who runs after and works for the establishment. If the establishment is not doing what is right, it has to be challenged,” he said.
The former governor also recalled his early involvement in Nigeria’s democratic struggle, particularly during the transition from military rule in the late 1990s.
He noted that he mobilised youths across the country to participate in the democratic process at a time when political movements were beginning to take shape.
“In the late 1990s, when the military began the process of returning Nigeria to democracy, I led a group of young people across this country to mobilise youths to participate in the unfolding democratic process,” Dickson said.
He added that his political career has evolved through different stages and parties before he eventually joined the PDP in 2005.
Dickson urged Nigerians who desire a stronger democratic system to align with the NDC, which he said is positioned to provide a credible alternative in the nation’s political landscape.
“I have been a faithful and committed member of the Peoples Democratic Party since 2005. The PDP was particularly appealing to me because it was an umbrella for all Nigerians – an umbrella for the big and the small, the strong and the weak.”
Dickson said he remained emotionally attached to the PDP because of its historic role in Nigeria’s democratic development.
“No other party in Nigeria, from independence till date, has done for my people and for so-called minorities what the PDP did.”
However, he lamented what he described as the party’s steady decline and internal crisis.
“Unfortunately, my beloved party is not only sick; it has been sick for a long time. The PDP today is in the intensive care unit, and the doctors are not smiling.”
He blamed the situation on poor leadership and internal conflicts within the party.
“The governors and other leaders must take responsibility for the avoidable, self-inflicted destruction of the PDP,” he said.
Dickson warned against the emergence of a one-party system in Nigeria, stressing that the country’s diversity makes such a scenario untenable.
“Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. Anyone promoting one-party rule in Nigeria is pursuing a mirage,” he said.
He said he had remained in the PDP for years despite political pressure and inducement to defect.
According to him, “I could have defected to the APC even when I was governor, but I refused because Nigeria must not become a one-party state.”
He said the continuing crisis within the PDP has made it increasingly difficult for the party to remain competitive ahead of future elections.
“The PDP that we kept hoping would provide a credible opposition has kept digging itself deeper into crisis. Unfortunately, it may not be in a position to be competitive in the 2027 general elections.”
Dickson, therefore, announced that he and his political associates had decided to move on.
“As painful and emotionally unpleasant as it is to leave this great party that offered us so much, we have to move on.”
He revealed that after consultations with allies across the country, they resolved to support a new political platform that would provide Nigerians with an ideological alternative.
“My friends and I have been working to give Nigerians a credible ideological platform and alternative,” he said.
Dickson explained that the platform eventually secured registration after a legal battle with the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“We went to court because INEC initially refused to register our association. The court ruled in our favour, affirming our constitutional right to freedom of association,” he said.
He commended the Independent National Electoral Commission for complying with the court’s ruling.
“I want to thank the Chairman of INEC and all officials who ensured that the judgment of the court was respected,” he said.
Dickson then formally announced his new political affiliation.
“As a result of that judgment, our association has now been registered as a political party. After careful consultations with my friends and associates across the country, I have decided to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress as our new political platform.”
He said the party would offer Nigerians a credible democratic alternative and strengthen multiparty democracy in the country.
During the event, the Protem Chairman of the party, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwogeh, presented Dickson with the membership card numbered 001 and handed over the party’s flag, symbol and authority to him, formalizing his entry into the new political platform at exactly 2:45 PM on Thursday March 5 2026.
Security presence around the NDC Secretariat was heightened as thousands of supporters gathered to witness the historic moment.
Dickson’s exit from the PDP follows months of speculation, with aides previously dismissing reports of an impending departure. However, party insiders indicate that the lingering internal crisis within the PDP, coupled with the formal registration of the NDC by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in February 2026, may have accelerated his decision.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress, which emerged after a landmark court order cleared its path for registration, is positioning itself as a credible “Third Force” in Nigeria’s political space and by aligning with the NDC, Dickson appears to be charting a new political direction, distancing himself from what observers describe as the PDP’s prolonged internal instability.
Following his defection, report has begun to circulate that at least three other Senators from the South-South were in advanced discussions to join the NDC within days, a development that could further alter the balance of power in the National Assembly.
Political analysts suggest that beyond party politics, the decision may also reflect broader regional calculations. The move is widely seen as an effort to consolidate Ijaw political influence under a new banner ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle. Dickson, a prominent figure in Bayelsa and the Niger Delta, has long been regarded as one of the PDP’s most formidable grassroots mobilisers in the South-South.
The immediate impact on the PDP is expected to be significant. His departure is viewed as a major setback for the party in the region, potentially triggering further defections if internal reconciliation efforts fail.
As events continue to unfold, Senator Dickson’s defection may prove to be more than a personal political decision; it could mark the beginning of a broader realignment in Nigeria’s evolving party system ahead of 2027.
Additional Reporting By StanClinton Okechukwu Nwafor.
5/3/2026