Dickson: Support Groups Can't Form NDC Campaign Council

Seriake Dickson, the National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has said political support groups cannot create the party’s campaign council. He stated this because these groups are not political parties.

Mr Dickson, who is a senator and a former governor of Bayelsa State, made these comments on Tuesday. He was receiving Babachir Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, into the NDC.

A video clip of Mr Dickson's remarks has been making the rounds on Facebook.

Though he did not name anyone, his comments seemed to respond to a disagreement between the party’s leadership and the OK Movement. This disagreement is about the formation of the presidential campaign council (PCC) for the 2027 election.

Last Thursday, the OK Movement set up a 59-member PCC to gather support for the NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

However, the NDC disowned the support group on Saturday. The party said it would reveal its own PCC for the 2027 election soon. Read more here

In response to the NDC’s statement, the support group rejected the party’s position. They claimed they do not need anyone's approval from the party to set up their PCC.

During the event, Mr Dickson explained that support groups do not compete with political parties. He said these groups do not take over roles meant for political parties or their campaign functions.

“You have several support groups. Support groups don’t compete with the political party that is sponsoring candidates. Support groups don’t compete for supremacy or for space.

“Support groups are what they are: Support groups. They don’t play the role of a political party. They don’t sponsor candidates. They provide grassroots support and mobilization support,” he explained.

Mr Dickson added that it is unusual for support groups to say they are forming a presidential campaign council. He called such actions “unheard of” and “nonsensical”. He urged those responsible for educating others to do so.

He emphasized that support groups should not act as critics of the political party that supports their chosen candidates. “They don’t convert themselves to become critics of the political party sponsoring. They don’t attack the political party sponsoring. They don’t do that,” he said.

Mr Dickson hinted that the NDC has a department to coordinate and register support groups. This is to ensure better relationships with these groups.

He encouraged more organizations to join in mobilizing support for the party’s candidates. “So, our advice to support groups is the more they are, the merrier. We have a role for you to play.

“Your work is huge. Focus on that work which is providing support for our candidates at the grassroots level,” he added.