Countering the narrative that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) was registered through the back door, the National Leader of the party, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson on Monday provided proofs that the registration process for the NDC began as far back as 2017.
In a statement in which he debunked claims by those seeking to orchestrate its deregistration, the former Bayelsa State governor has therefore urged Nigerians to discountenance and ignore the propaganda targeted at the party or its leaders, and called for a steadfast focus on the “bigger picture” of national reclamation.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that in the statement, issued following the defection of the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and his Kano State counterpart, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, into the party, Dickson addressed the inevitable “distractions” that accompany such a massive political realignment, adding that as an ambitious project, the NDC would naturally attract rumours, gossip, and blackmail, which he described as expected “parts of the terrain”.
Depicting the current state of the NDC as a “powerful convergence,” the former governor highlighted the synergy between his own role as a party builder and the “immense grassroots support, popularity, and political experience” brought by Obi, Kwankwaso, and other national leaders now gathered under one platform.
According to him, “That trust has been the most important currency driving the party from its early days up until now.” He therefore thanked Nigerians for their growing confidence in the movement.
Outlining the vision for the NDC as one that transcends typical Nigerian political formations, Dickson emphasised that the goal is to build an ideological party modelled after the African National Congress (ANC) in its prime, as well as established parties in Europe, America, and India.
According to him, “Our goal in the NDC is to build an ideological political party, one that can be compared to the ANC in its finest years in South Africa, as well as established political parties across Europe, America, India and even the Communist Party of China — in terms of stability, structure, and the ability to endure beyond its founders for generations to come.
“The NDC is a party with a special place for young people and women, one that prioritises mentorship and prepares citizens for service. It is designed to serve the people, not just the big, strong, and powerful, but also the ordinary and the vulnerable,” he stated.
To counter narratives regarding the party’s sudden emergence, Senator Dickson provided documentation revealing that the registration process for the NDC began as far back as 2017.
According to the Senator, INEC had granted initial approval at that time before the process was temporarily halted.
He further cited a document showing a Google search conducted on February 2, 2017, specifically aimed at selecting the party’s “V-sign” logo. He explained that when party registration resumed last year, the earlier application was simply revisited and updated.
“For the record, the annexures show that we initiated the registration process for the NDC as far back as 2017 and that INEC granted approval at that time before the process was halted. When party registration resumed last year, we revisited and updated our earlier application. The other document shows a Google search we conducted on February 2, 2017, while searching for the appropriate “V-sign” as the party’s logo,” he added.
In conclusion, Senator Dickson appealed to all Nigerians to join the party, register, and contest elections. “Together, let us reclaim and rebuild our country,” Dickson declared, reinforcing his plea for citizens to remain undeterred by political “white noise”.