INEC list: NDC candidates commend, thank Dickson

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA- CANDIDATES of the Nigeria Democratic Congress,  NDC, have commended the National leader of the party, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, for working assiduously for the recently published list  by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Although there had been a lot of apprehension on the part of Candidates seeking to stand election on the platform of the NDC as a result of the delay in publishing the names, especially for those contesting for seats in the two chambers of the National Assembly, much of the fears have been laid to rest with the latest development,  even as the former Bayelsa State Governor remains the stabilizing factor that has restored calm from the tension that threatened to tear the new party apart.

In a statement yesterday, many of the candidates whose names have now been published said they were particularly grateful to Dickson for not only rescuing their political careers, the future of which looked rather gloomy and doomed with the seeming tilt of the ruling APC towards a one-party state and the characteristic emasculation of opposition voices and parties, but  also doing so transparently and without extorting aspirants. And for this, accolades have continued to pour in for the NDC National Leader.

On her part, the NDC Candidate for the Abia Central Senatorial District, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu said, “The National Leader Senator Seriake Dickson deserves accolades for the way he navigated the trying times that the primaries, reconciliations and the nomination of candidates were finally concluded. Nobody is perfect, but he acted in the interest of our party, NDC.”

While commending Sen. Dickson for the peerless political brinkmanship and the high sense of discipline and leadership he showed and continues to show, Nwaogu, a member of the 8th Senate, made an appeal to party members, aspirants and candidates:
“I appeal to aspirants who did not get  tickets to see this as a contest in which those who lost today can win tomorrow. They should work with our party to ensure its victory in the 2027 elections.”

Contrary to all the unfounded insinuations about aspirants being extorted over tickets and of highest bidders seizing the party’s tickets, some of the candidates said the NDC Primaries, though not perfect, “were arguably the freest, fairest and most transparent of all the primaries conducted by all the major political parties”.

A Canada-based aspirant who lost out in his bid for a House of Representatives ticket also commended the party leadership as well as the National Leader for the way they navigated the rather tricky processes.

‘I’m a front-row witness to most of what transpired, and I can tell you that “all the National Leader has been doing since after the primaries has been settling the misunderstandings that arose either directly from the venues of the primaries or from the handling of the disputes by respective state leaders and stakeholders who were charged with harmonizing the various interest groups.

“None of these issues was created by the National Leader, who, by the way, did not interfere with the work of either the respective state stakeholders or the various committees sent by the party to conduct the primaries.
Instead, he has spent the last two or three months settling and reconciling all of us aspirants and stakeholders”.

Another aspirant from Edo said: “On the allegation that the tickets were being sold to the highest bidder, I, for one, can boldly tell you that I visited the National Leader no fewer than thrice, with party leaders and aspirants from my state. Not once was the issue of money ever discussed. Nobody can claim he ever gave money to Sen. Dickson. I’m sure he would have walked you out of his house if you ever tried to offer him any money.”

According to him, the National leader has made tremendous sacrifices since the NDC was in its embryonic stage and up till this moment.  He hardly sleeps. It’s taking a huge toll on several other things he’s doing, and even his health.

“I’m calling on all members of the party, as the democrats we are, to join hands to work for the party, to not only deliver the party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi and Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, his running mate, but also deliver all the candidates of the NDC across board”.
According to him, the NDC is the only true hope of the opposition and Nigeria’s democracy.

“The opposition in this country was in shambles until the NDC happened on the scene. We cannot now take our eyes off the ball because we have to close ranks and work together to push out this APC government which is not only incompetent, but also uncaring and evil.”

In his own reaction, Mazi Nnamdi Dickson Iroegbu, who was not successful in his bid to secure the NDC House of Representatives ticket for Aboh Mbaise and Ngor Okpala Federal constituency in Imo State, enjoined all true NDC members to look beyond the primaries and close ranks to ensure the party produces the next president of Nigeria come 2027.

In a Facebook post following the publication of the candidates list by INEC, Iroegbu said: “The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) list of candidates has just been released by INEC with my name copiously missing. It behoves me, Mazi Nnamdi Dickson Iroegbu, to thereby state that I have moved on steadfastly.
“My sincere goodwill further goes to all the candidates of my party, the NDC, and I wish them the very best as they advance.

… Although my aspiration did not materialize this moment, my commitment to the people remains firm, and I will continue to work for the progress of my community.

“I urge all my supporters to continue with their support for NDC from top to bottom, standing firmly behind the party’s leadership and candidates, and ensuring unity, discipline, and active participation during the election processes. Service to the people shall always be our CREED.”