Seriake Dickson, senator representing Bayelsa west, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The former Bayelsa governor announced his decision to join the NDC during a press conference on Thursday in Abuja.
The NDC was registered as a political party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in February.
Dickson criticised opposition politicians defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he would not have left the PDP if not for the party’s protracted internal divisions.
“Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria is not designed to be a one-party state,” he said
Dickson said Nigeria is a diverse nation politically, culturally and ethnically, noting that its complexity requires leadership that promotes unity, inclusion and mutual respect among its various groups.
The legislator said he declined to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition because he was unsure of the party’s agenda for the country, adding that the NDC’s manifesto is clearer.
“I don’t frankly know where the ADC stands on some of the issues that are very important to me,” he said.
“The NDC stands for true federalism in a democratic Nigeria and the devolution of power. The NDC stands for investments in education, healthcare, and security for Nigerians.
“Any political party that I will call my own must be clear on those issues. It is a good thing for people to gather in opposition (ADC coalition). But I want to ask, what is their agenda for governance? What is the agenda beyond gathering? And time will tell whether it is a coalition or a collision.”
Dickson was among the senators who demanded the mandatory transmission of election results during the passage of the Electoral Act in February.
