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The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is emerging as a serious contender in the countdown to the 2027 elections. Under the stewardship of Senator Henry Seriake Dickson and presidential candidate Peter Obi, the party is attempting something rare in Nigerian politics: building a democratic institution designed to outlast its founders. ROLAND OGBONNAYA tells the story of that effort, from open primaries free from scandals to continental diplomacy and grassroots expansion.
The air in Abuja these days carries a distinct charge of anticipation. In hotel conference rooms, party secretariats, and the sprawling living rooms of political power brokers, a quiet but determined machinery is grinding into gear. The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), a party that has positioned itself as an alternative to the established political order, is conducting its national primaries – and the results trickling in suggest something larger than routine political housekeeping is underway.
Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, the party’s national leader and Senator for Bayelsa West, is the man at the centre of this unfolding drama. With the calm authority of someone who has spent decades in opposition trenches, he is orchestrating what may become one of the most consequential primary seasons in recent Nigerian political memory.
“We understand that the manual process may not be perfect due to time constraints and logistical challenges, and we ask everyone to bear with us,” Dickson wrote in a statement that captured both the party’s ambition and its acknowledgment of reality. “Our intentions are sincere.”
Those intentions are, by any measure, substantial. The NDC has decided that every aspirant who purchased an Expression of Interest form will be permitted to participate in the party’s primaries – a decision that, in a political culture often characterised by elite gatekeeping and backroom deals, represents a notable departure from business as usual.
The scale of the operation is striking. Dickson has deployed teams of senior officials to every state, supported by stakeholders and local leaders, to conduct the primaries scheduled for 29th May 2026. Aspirants will use their Expression of Interest forms to participate, with direct primaries conducted at the constituency level for State Assembly positions, and exercises for the House of Representatives, Senate, governorship, and presidential affirmations taking place at various Local Government headquarters.
“The number of aspirants far exceeded expectations,” Dickson noted, following a meeting that stretched into the early hours and included the party’s National Chairman, presidential aspirant Peter Obi, and key members of the National Working Committee and Selection Committee. The meeting received the report of the Screening Committee, chaired by former governor Sam Egwu, whose committee had worked painstakingly for nearly a week.
Yet the party is not naïve about the challenges of such an open process. Dickson urged the teams to prioritise aspirants with the capacity to win elections, to remain open and fair, and to liaise with stakeholders. He reiterated the party’s zero-tolerance policy on violence, warning that the NDC would take serious action against anyone who resorts to violence, threats, intimidation, or disorderly conduct.
“The joint meeting of the Selection and Screening Committees decided that all those who purchased Expression of Interest forms would be allowed to contest the primaries in their respective constituencies,” Dickson explained. “Only successful candidates will later report to the party secretariat for documentation and payment for nomination forms.”
It is, in essence, a bet on grassroots democracy – a wager that opening the process will yield stronger candidates and deeper loyalty than the controlled, top-down selection that has become the norm in Nigerian politics.
But building a new political institution is never a clean process, and the NDC has already encountered the shadows that haunt Nigerian political life. The party was forced to issue a public warning against a man it says is impersonating its Enugu State Chairman and defrauding unsuspecting members of the public.
The statement, signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director Esq., described the activities of one John Paul Anih, who allegedly presented himself as the Enugu State Chairman of the party. The NDC stressed that the authentic and legally recognised Chairman in Enugu State is Engr. Ibuchukwu Obeta.
According to the party’s statement, Anih not only impersonated the state chairman but also allegedly conducted a “kangaroo” state congress in which he installed himself as chairman. He is also reported to have approached a court in Enugu seeking to compel the party to recognise him.
The incident, while troubling, also serves as a kind of authentication for the NDC’s seriousness. A party no one wants to infiltrate is a party going nowhere. That fraudsters see value in the NDC brand suggests the party is being taken seriously by the political marketplace.
While the machinery of primaries grinds on, Peter Obi, the NDC’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election, has been engaged in diplomacy of a different order. In a series of high-level engagements in South Africa, Obi met with two former African heads of state: President Ian Khama of Botswana and President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa.
“I had the privilege of meeting two distinguished former leaders, President Ian Khama of Botswana and President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, before departing Cape Town for Johannesburg yesterday,” Obi said in a statement issued from Cape Town.
The meetings, Obi explained, were an opportunity to express his “heartfelt appreciation” for the former presidents’ positive remarks on recent immigration challenges in the region and for their continued advocacy for peace and unity among African nations. Obi noted that both men “continue to hold significant respect across the continent due to their remarkable contributions, both during and after their presidencies.”
During his audience with Mbeki, Obi also reconnected with his good friend, former Ekiti State Governor Dr Kayode Fayemi, who had delivered a keynote address at the Thabo Mbeki Africa Day lecture – a lecture focused on the themes of rebuilding unity and revitalising institutions throughout the continent.
The meetings underscore Obi’s ongoing diplomatic outreach as he continues to engage with prominent African figures on matters of regional integration, governance, and the peaceful resolution of cross-border issues. It is a strategy that positions the NDC not merely as a domestic political vehicle but as a participant in broader continental conversations about democratic renewal.
Closer to home, Obi has also been reaching out to Nigeria’s religious communities. In a message commemorating Eid-el-Kabir, he called upon Muslims in Nigeria to observe the occasion with prayers while nurturing optimism for a renewed Nigeria.
“I extend heartfelt greetings to the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria and around the globe as they commemorate Eid-elKabir, a significant occasion that represents enduring values of faith, sacrifice, obedience to God, compassion, and love for humanity,” Obi wrote.
“The essence of Eid-el-Kabir reinforces the belief that fulfilment follows sacrifice,” he added. “We must maintain our hope in the realisation of a functional, just, and productive nation where every citizen is included.”
Back in Abuja, Senator Dickson continues to receive a steady stream of delegations, each one offering evidence of the party’s expanding appeal. He met with aspirants from Zamfara State led by Senator Kabiru Marafa, whom Dickson described as “a courageous fighter for what is right, fair, and just.” He assured the delegation that the NDC would continue to engage with the people of Zamfara and support every genuine effort to bring positive change to the state.
He also met with Hon. Nasiru Sule Garo, the Kano State Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, in what Dickson described as a “useful” discussion focusing on the need for committed leadership and collective action.
And in a moment that blended Nigerian politics with popular culture, Dickson received leading Nollywood actor Emeka Ike, who led a courtesy visit and presented gifts. Dickson thanked him for the gesture and appreciated his goodwill and support for the party.
“The growing support the NDC continues to receive from different states across the federation is a strong indication that Nigerians are ready for purposeful leadership and genuine democratic change,” Dickson wrote.
Perhaps most significantly, Dickson welcomed coordinators and members of the Obidient Movement – the grassroots network that powered Obi’s remarkable 2023 presidential campaign – into the NDC. He urged them to liaise with their respective state chairmen to ensure full integration into the NDC structure nationwide.
“I told them that I appreciate what they are doing, especially from my background as one who has been in the opposition trenches from a very young age and consistently since 1998 till date,” Dickson wrote. “I encouraged them to continue to do their best and assured them that the NDC is in safe hands.”
Dickson has been characteristically honest about the limitations of the current process. He acknowledged that due to limited time, the party could not fully implement the electronic system originally designed for the primaries. He described this as the last manual primary election in the NDC, promising that future exercises would be electronic to minimise complaints and challenges.
“Bear with us and join us as we strive to build an enduring modern political institution, not a special-purpose vehicle for any individual political interest, but a party that will outlast all of us,” Dickson stressed.
It is a phrase that captures the essence of what the NDC is attempting: to build something that transcends personalities, that survives transitions of leadership, that becomes a permanent feature of Nigeria’s democratic landscape. Whether they succeed remains to be seen. But as the results of their primaries continue to trickle in, one thing is clear: the NDC is positioning itself not merely as a participant in the 2027 elections, but as a potential architect of a new political order.
