Dickson: I rejected APC to prevent Nigeria becoming one-party state

Former Bayelsa State governor and national leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, has said he rejected the opportunity to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) because he opposed the emergence of a one-party state in Nigeria.

Dickson spoke in Abuja on Thursday when the management of LEADERSHIP Newspaper, led by its Vice-Chairman, Mike Okpere, presented him with the notification of the LEADERSHIP Politician of the Year 2026 award.

The newspaper had announced Dickson as the recipient in recognition of his public service, political leadership and contribution to the emergence of the NDC as a major opposition platform.

Receiving the management team, Dickson expressed appreciation for the recognition, saying he and members of his political team were unaware of his nomination before the announcement.

He said the award represented not only a personal honour but also recognition of the NDC and Nigerians who supported the party from its emergence.

Dickson, who reflected on the circumstances surrounding the formation of the NDC, said the party was established at a difficult period when many people doubted that a new political platform could become a formidable force.

He said the decline of his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), presented him with a choice between joining the APC and creating an alternative political platform.

“I did not believe Nigeria should become a one-party state,” he said.