Senator Seriake Dickson says the crisis in the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is over — at least for now.
The national leader of the party made this known in a Facebook post on Friday after a three-hour closed-door meeting with the NDC's presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and other party leaders.
"I just received my brother, colleague, and partner in the New Nigerian Project, His Excellency Mr Peter Obi, our presidential candidate, who, together with some distinguished leaders of our party, held a closed-door meeting which lasted about three hours," Dickson wrote. "In the course of that meeting, we reviewed the activities of our party and discussed a few recent issues that have been a source of concern to all sides, and we amicably resolved all the issues."
Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, didn't give details of the "issues" that were resolved. But the trouble likely traces back to a recent public exchange between Dickson and activist Aisha Yesufu.
Yesufu was an aspirant for the NDC's FCT Senatorial District primaries. She alleged the primaries were manipulated against her. Dickson later suggested she lost because she "might not have played by the rules." Yesufu fired back, saying Dickson should be pacifying aggrieved aspirants, not antagonising them.
Dickson then revealed that he and Obi had initially offered Yesufu a House of Representatives ticket, but she rejected it.
In Friday's post, Dickson said "a few issues" came up during the meeting, and "we have agreed on how to handle them." He didn't say what those fresh issues were.
The national leader boasted that he and other NDC leaders remain focused on the "bigger picture" — winning the 2027 elections for all party candidates and rescuing Nigeria from the APC-led government's alleged misgovernance.
He called on party members to stop what he termed "bickering and name-calling" and focus on winning.
"Both Peter Obi and I, as well as other leaders and stakeholders of our party, will continue to consult and engage with one another to address and resolve concerns, strengthen the unity and cohesion of our party, and ensure that we remain focused on our shared mission of rescuing Nigeria and building a better future for all," Dickson wrote.
The NDC is a relatively new party, formed ahead of the 2023 elections. Obi was its presidential candidate, and Dickson, a former PDP governor, is its national leader. The party has struggled with internal disputes, and this public spat with Yesufu — a prominent activist known for her role in the #EndSARS protests — threatened to deepen the cracks.
Whether Friday's meeting actually ends the infighting isn't clear yet. But for now, the leaders say they're united. The real test will come when the next primary or campaign season heats up.