National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has renewed his criticism of Nigeria’s direct primary system, arguing that it is a major driver of internal party disputes and widespread complaints across political parties.

Speaking during an Arise Television interview, Dickson said the inclusion of mandatory direct primaries in the Electoral Act was, in his view, a legislative error that stripped political parties of the flexibility to determine their own candidate selection processes.

He argued that political parties should have been allowed to choose between direct and indirect primaries, insisting that the imposition of a single model has created avoidable tensions.

According to him, the previous delegate system offered greater structure and control, reducing disputes and limiting the scale of contestation compared to the current arrangement.

“We did not have this deluge of complaints under the delegated system,” he said, adding that reforms were intended to deepen democracy but had also introduced significant logistical and administrative challenges.

Dickson noted that under the current framework, electoral bodies such as INEC are required to coordinate extensive ward-level processes, a task he described as highly complex, especially for new and emerging political parties.

He further argued that the direct primary system has created an environment where multiple aspirants can independently declare victory based on differing claims and interpretations of results, leading to parallel announcements and disputes.

“In a direct primary situation, people go into the field, gather supporters, declare themselves winners and begin to brandish results,” he said.

While acknowledging that grievances are not unique to any single party, Dickson maintained that the system itself contributes significantly to internal conflicts and competing claims within political organisations.

The National leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Seriake Dickson, has revealed why he left the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and formed the NDC.

Featuring in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’ on Wednesday, Dickson said there is no democracy without the opposition.

According to the former Bayelsa state governor, he does not move with the crowd.

He said people defect to the ruling party, they can have appointments, contracts and enjoy federal and state patronage.

“We should encourage people to be in opposition because there’s democracy without opposition.

“People join the ruling party to be assisted by so-called federal mights, to write results and have security support to terrorize and humiliate their people in the name of rigging elections, and so on.

“I am not a politician of that mode. Since 2015 PDP lost federal power, I was the first opposition governor who bore the brunt of that federal loss of power.

“I have been in for sometime as an opposition politician. So, being in the opposition doesn’t scare me,” he said.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has inaugurated the National Campaign Council for the Ekiti state governorship
election.

The National Chairman of the party, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, did the inauguration on on Wednesday leading members of the National Working Committee, NWC,

At the inauguration, Yilwatda commended the members of the Council for accepting the crucial responsibility.

He said he was confident that their wealth of experience, commitment, and dedication would significantly strengthen the APC’s campaign machinery and deliver yet another electoral victory for the party.

According to him, the composition of the Council underscores the APC’s dedication to inclusivity, unity, and collective success.