Sen Dickson Breaks Silence on NDC Registration, Releases 2017 INEC Approval Letter
Senator Seriake Dickson has officially addressed the mounting controversy surrounding the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The lawmaker, who represents Bayelsa West and serves as the national leader of the party, released an approval letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dating back to 2017.
This move is intended to prove that the party followed due process long before the current disputes began.
Dickson’s intervention follows serious allegations that the NDC bypassed the standard legal requirements to secure its status as a registered political entity.
The tension escalated after Umar Ardo, a prominent leader within the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), publicly questioned INEC’s integrity.
Ardo claimed that the commission ignored its own established procedures by registering the NDC. He pointed out that while the ADA was among eight associations cleared in October 2025 after meeting digital documentation requirements, the NDC was not part of that initial group.
The situation became more complex when INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan announced in February 2026 that only two associations had qualified for final verification. Despite its absence from the earlier list, the NDC was registered following a Federal High Court order issued in Lokoja, Kogi State.
Ardo recently doubled down on these claims during a media appearance, asserting that the NDC never submitted a formal application or participated in the 2025 screening of 171 associations. In a swift rebuttal, Senator Dickson shared the 2017 correspondence signed by the former Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu.
The document explicitly stated, “The commission received your application as a political party under the proposed name: Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).” The letter further clarified that “The commission has considered your application and found that the proposed name complies with the requirements for registration as a political party under Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”
Dickson explained that the party’s journey began nearly a decade ago but faced delays before being revisited during the recent registration window. He also shared evidence of a Google search from February 2017 regarding the party’s logo design to demonstrate the long-term planning involved.
According to the Senator, the current backlash is merely a mix of propaganda and blackmail aimed at undermining a significant political movement. He urged the public to “You may wish to proceed with other requirements in line with the approved guidelines for registration of political parties obtainable from the commission’s Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) Department or download same from the commission’s website.”
The former Bayelsa Governor maintained that the NDC is a legitimate platform for Nigerians looking to participate in the democratic process. He dismissed the petitions against the party as common distractions that often accompany ambitious political projects in Nigeria.
