The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, has declared the party’s internal crisis resolved after a series of consultations involving senior figures, including presidential candidate Peter Obi and political economist Prof Pat Utomi.
Dickson made the announcement on Friday in a post on X, saying party leaders had reached a consensus following a lengthy meeting convened to address grievances stemming from the conduct of the party’s primaries.
The NDC has faced growing internal tensions in recent weeks after allegations of irregularities emerged from the primary process. Dickson had previously acknowledged that the exercise was not without flaws, admitting during an appearance on Arise Television that shortcomings had occurred.
The disputes intensified earlier this week when former Kano State governor and Obi’s running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, accused the party of replacing the names of some of his supporters and associates who had emerged victorious in the primaries.
Unverified reports subsequently suggested that Kwankwaso had threatened to leave the party after candidates aligned with the Kwankwasiyya Movement in Kano were allegedly substituted as part of efforts to enforce a previously agreed 60–40 power-sharing arrangement in favour of his political bloc.
Seeking to quell the growing controversy, Dickson said party leaders had used a three-hour meeting to review recent developments and resolve outstanding disagreements.
“In the course of that meeting, we reviewed the activities of our party and discussed a few recent issues that have been a source of concern to all sides, and we amicably resolved all the issues,” he said.
While acknowledging the tensions generated by the primaries, Dickson insisted that the party’s leadership remained united around its broader political objective.
“We have always been on the same page on the bigger picture, namely winning the elections for all candidates of our party and rescuing Nigeria from the misgovernance of the APC-led government,” he said. “However, a few issues have arisen, and we have agreed on how to handle them moving forward.”
The former Bayelsa governor urged party members to end internal recriminations and focus instead on building cohesion ahead of the elections.
“Both Peter Obi and I, as well as other leaders and stakeholders of our party, will continue to consult and engage with one another to address and resolve concerns, strengthen the unity and cohesion of our party, and ensure that we remain focused on our shared mission of rescuing Nigeria and building a better future for all,” he said.
The intervention is likely to be viewed as an attempt to steady the party after days of speculation about divisions within its ranks, particularly in Kano, a state regarded as strategically important to the NDC’s electoral prospects.
