TDIt is public knowledge that Senator Henry Seriake Dickson has had a long and prominent political career.
He served in the House of Representatives after his tenure as Attorney-General of Bayelsa State, later became Governor of Bayelsa State, and is currently the Senator representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly.
He was also highly visible among the leaders who were building the coalition that eventually adopted the ADC as a political vehicle to challenge the Asiwaju-led APC Federal Government in the 2026 elections.
However, to my shock, I read that he has now formed a new political party. This raises fundamental questions.
In a system where credible political associations struggle endlessly to secure registration, how does one individual suddenly secure approval with such ease—unless there is a quiet nod from the very establishment the coalition seeks to dislodge?
My concern is not theoretical—it is grounded in lived experience. I was engaged as counsel by my clients to register a political party—the Citizen Party of Nigeria—immediately after the 2023 general elections.
We complied meticulously with every legal requirement and secured a national office in a prime location in Gwagwalada. Yet, that application has remained stalled at INEC.
Despite these efforts towards the registration of the Citizens Party of Nigeria, I cannot recall even a single visit from INEC to the party secretariat before I eventually returned the file to my clients.
Against this backdrop, the sudden emergence and recognition of Dickson’s platform is not just curious—it is deeply troubling.
This anomaly compelled me to look deeper.
Dickson was the first Chairman of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Bayelsa State from 1998 to 2000 and later became the National Legal Adviser of the party between 2000 and 2002.
It is also alleged that his maternal roots are in the South-West, that he maintains a base there, and that his Yoruba is more fluent than his Ijaw.
Individually, these facts may appear harmless. Taken together, however, they raise legitimate questions within the broader context captured in the headline—emerging political platforms, Dickson’s so-called “poisoned chalice,” and the critical issue of trust within Nigeria’s ADC coalition.
In my considered view, the NDC bears all the markings of a strategic, tempered extension—an alternative brand of the APC, designed to infiltrate, fragment, and ultimately weaken the opposition coalition from within. This is not the time for naivety.
If Senator Dickson truly believes in his political project, he should test it openly—by running as its presidential candidate. His long-standing political trajectory suggests relationships and alignments that are far closer to Asiwaju than is publicly admitted.
As a former governor and a sitting senator, he undoubtedly has much to offer Nigeria. He should not deny Nigerians the benefit of his experience and leadership as President and Commander-in-Chief.
He should also persuade his political protégé, Governor Diri, to follow him into this new venture rather than attempting to destabilise an already formed coalition.
His persistent fixation on coalition members—particularly the aggressive poaching of key actors—speaks volumes. It is a strategy, and it is being noticed.
As brothers, promoters, and friends of Peter Obi, our eyes are not wandering. They are firmly fixed on the ADC ticket.
Distractions, however cleverly packaged, are not in the interest of our people. We are ADC. We are disciplined. We are focused on rising—handshake across the bridge—and shining for a better Nigeria.
Let it be stated clearly and without ambiguity: in 2027, the South-East is shut down for ADC under the leadership of Peter Obi. We are settled.
We are not searching. We do not need, and will not entertain, any Asiwaju-infested political alternatives masquerading as new platforms.
Just as we rejected the sudden and questionable recognition of Nenadi Usman as leader of the Labour Party, we are equally resolute in rejecting any attempt to recycle political leadership through former power brokers—including the former Chairman of the AD.
This is not a season for confusion. This is a season for clarity, loyalty, and resolve.
Obunike Ohaegbu, National Coordinator, South East Patriots (SEP), is writing from his village in Anambra State.
