Prominent activist and politician Aisha Yesufu has publicly criticised Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, the National Leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), accusing him of prioritising personal concerns over the party’s mission of winning the 2027 general elections.
In a strongly worded statement addressed to Dickson, Yesufu expressed disappointment with what she described as the senator’s handling of internal party issues following the party’s primaries. She rejected suggestions that she failed to follow party procedures, insisting that she respected the process despite controversies surrounding the conduct of the primaries.
According to Yesufu, she accepted the party’s decisions and even embarked on efforts to calm aggrieved supporters across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), many of whom had gathered at various party headquarters expecting primaries that ultimately did not take place.
The activist, however, reserved her strongest criticism for Dickson’s recent media appearance, which she said projected insecurity and unnecessary rivalry with the party’s presidential candidate.
“Your first one-on-one interview after the primaries should have been an opportunity to sell the party, promote the candidates, and reassure supporters about the road to victory in 2027,” she stated. “Instead, you made it about yourself.”
Yesufu argued that the registration of the NDC should not be treated as an achievement in itself but as a vehicle for the larger goal of rescuing Nigeria and securing electoral victory.
She further accused the party leader of failing to unite party members and supporters at a critical moment, stressing that his priority should have been to pacify aggrieved aspirants and encourage unity within the party.
“No one can take away your leadership of NDC. The focus should be on winning the 2027 election and addressing Nigeria’s challenges,” she said.
The activist also called on Dickson to take responsibility for shortcomings within the young party rather than shifting blame whenever concerns are raised.
Acknowledging that mistakes are inevitable in a growing political movement, Yesufu maintained that accountability and transparency are necessary for the NDC to strengthen its structures ahead of the next general election.
She concluded her remarks with a quote from renowned motivational speaker Jim Rohn, saying, “If what you did yesterday is still looking big to you today, then you are not doing enough,” urging party leaders to focus on the larger battle of transforming Nigeria rather than engaging in internal disputes.
