Senator Seriake Dickson has a message for supporters of Peter Obi who've been criticising the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC): back off.
Dickson, the national leader of the NDC, said on Wednesday night that anyone attacking the party or its leaders is being "nonsensical" — especially if they claim to support Obi, the party's presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.
"If you're genuinely supporting Peter Obi and you're disparaging me, the leader, or the platform itself, that's nonsensical," Dickson said on Arise TV's Prime Time programme.
Some members of the Obidient Movement, the grassroots group backing Obi, had recently accused some NDC leaders of being hostile to Obi's camp. They also criticised other NDC leaders for allegedly siding with Labour Party members opposed to Obi's ambition.
But Dickson pushed back hard. He said the NDC isn't grateful to anyone for joining the party — and nobody should act like the party owes anybody anything.
"Don't make it look like anyone is doing NDC a favour. No one is. Rather, the NDC and I and my colleagues are doing people a favour by granting our platform," he said.
He pointed out that the NDC adopted Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso as its sole presidential and vice-presidential candidates without any internal fight — and without anyone paying a kobo.
"Nobody paid shishi. So, if a presidential candidate didn't pay shishi to be made the sole presidential candidate and sole vice-presidential candidate, that same party can't be the one saying that small people are underprivileged," Dickson said.
"Shishi" is a Nigerian slang meaning nothing — used here to stress that no money changed hands.
Dickson also reminded everyone that the NDC was growing before Obi and Kwankwaso came on board. He listed politicians he'd received into the party months earlier, including Kabir Marafa from Zamfara and Aishatu Dahiru Binani, the former governorship candidate in Adamawa.
"I received Marafa from Zamfara. I received Binani and several other people across the country for four to five months (before Obi and Kwankwaso joined)," he said.
The senator, who represents Bayelsa West, also made it clear that he could've run for president himself if he'd wanted to.
"There's no one more qualified than me to run for the presidency of Nigeria. None. I could've run, but for some reasons I didn't want to," he boasted.
Despite the tough talk, Dickson said Obi remains a valued member of the party and there's no crisis between them.
"Peter Obi is a cherished member of our party. We're working well together. There's no crisis," he said.
But the message to Obi's supporters was unmistakable: stop attacking the platform that's carrying your candidate, or risk damaging the very vehicle you need to get to Aso Rock.