Dickson Fires Back at Obi, Kwankwaso Supporters: ‘Stop Running Down NDC

The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) , Senator Seriake Dickson, has issued a stern warning to overzealous supporters of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, cautioning them against disparaging and running down the political platform that carries their aspirations ahead of the 2027 general election.

Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme, the former Bayelsa State governor dismissed rumours of an internal crisis, firmly asserting that the political party is doing the candidates a favour by granting them a platform, rather than the other way around.

In his address to the candidates’ followers, Dickson emphasised the foundational sacrifices made by the party’s leadership long before the prominent political heavyweights defected to the fold. “Peter Obi is a cherished member of our party. On our own, we have made him sole presidential candidate, and that counts for something. None of them was part of the formation when we were registering this party; they were not there. They didn’t pay one naira, no presidential candidate paid ‘shishi’,” Dickson stated.

He reminded critics that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso was part of the initial formation or registration process of the party, noting that they did not contribute financially to its establishment. “You have to grant NDC some credit. Stop making it look like anyone is doing NDC a favour. No one is. Rather, the NDC and my colleagues are doing them [candidates] a favour by granting them our platform,” he said.

The Senator expressed frustration that supporters are attempting to portray the candidates as doing the NDC a favour, arguing that followers cannot claim to support the candidate while simultaneously insulting the leader of the host platform. “You cannot be supporting Peter Obi, if you are genuinely supporting him, and you are disparaging me, the leader, or the platform itself. That is nonsensical,” Dickson warned.

Dickson further argued that the growing belief that the NDC was benefiting from Obi’s popularity was inaccurate, insisting that the party was instead extending an opportunity to the former Labour Party presidential candidate. “Now, NDC is the vehicle that will take Peter Obi and Kwankwaso to the Villa. So if they understand the processes, even if there’s no gratitude to those who set up the NDC and offered it, they should know that they are hurting themselves if they run down the platform,” he warned.

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In a notable remark during the interview, Dickson declared that he possesses stronger credentials to contest for Nigeria’s highest office than Obi and Kwankwaso, although he said he deliberately decided against pursuing the presidency. “There is no one more qualified than me to run for the presidency. And for some reasons, I did not want to,” Dickson said. He noted that several prominent politicians had approached the NDC before Obi joined the party, including Senator Aishatu Binani from Adamawa State and others from across the country.

Dickson flatly denied allegations that the NDC sold nomination tickets to the highest bidders, describing such claims as unfounded. “The NDC doesn’t sell nomination tickets to people. What we have done, because we are a self-funding party, is to have aspirants make contributions and donations to the party account, and it applies to all categories of aspirants including the presidential aspirants,” Dickson explained. He added that a presidential aspirant is required to make a donation to the presidential campaign account, not to any individual, stressing: “We gave our platform to them [aspirants] without discussing money.”

Addressing concerns over donations, the NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, denied that there was any rift within the party. He said donations by party members were voluntary and neither compulsory nor fixed, explaining that all donations are paid directly into official party accounts to ensure accountability and transparency.

Turning to broader electoral issues, Senator Dickson criticized the National Assembly’s interference in party administration, arguing that lawmakers have no business mandating direct primaries for political parties. He insisted that the choice of the mode of primary elections should be left entirely to the discretion of individual parties, highlighting that direct primaries often lead to chaotic situations where factions generate parallel and unverified results from unmonitored crowds.

Meanwhile, fresh internal tensions have emerged within the NDC in Kano State, with senior party officials accusing Kwankwaso of attempting to dominate the party’s structure and sideline other stakeholders. According to a petition reportedly submitted to Dickson by the North-West Vice Chairman of the party, Mohammed Serina, and the Kano State Chairman, Hussaini Mariga, a reconciliation meeting convened by the national leadership had earlier agreed that Kwankwaso and members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement would control 60 per cent of the party structure in Kano, while the remaining 40 per cent would be retained by other stakeholders. However, the Kwankwasiyya Movement rejected the allegations, describing them as false and misleading.

The controversy over nominations gained additional momentum following allegations made by Nollywood actor and lawyer Kenneth Okonkwo, who served as one of the official spokespersons for the Peter Obi/Yusuf Datti Presidential Campaign Council during the 2023 elections. Okonkwo recently released what he described as documentary evidence in support of allegations that aspirants were pressured to make payments during the party’s primary elections. In response, Peter Obi has threatened legal action against Okonkwo over the allegations, with a letter by Obi’s legal counsel dated June 9, 2026, describing Okonkwo’s allegations as fabricated and damaging.

The NDC officially endorsed former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi as its presidential flagbearer for the 2027 general election at a special national convention in Abuja on May 30, 2026. Shortly after accepting the nomination, Obi announced former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, as his running mate, describing Kwankwaso as a trusted partner who would play a central role in governance rather than serve as a ceremonial deputy.

In his acceptance speech, Obi identified security, national unity, power supply, healthcare, education, youth empowerment and job creation as key priorities of his administration if elected. He also pledged to reduce the cost of governance and ensure prudent management of public resources. Obi further promised that the vice president under his administration would play a meaningful role in governance. “I will make democracy work, and the Vice President will be a partner, not a spare tyre,” Obi stated.

The NDC leader expressed confidence that the party would remain a formidable platform ahead of the 2027 elections, arguing that growing public frustration over insecurity, economic hardship and governance challenges has created a strong appetite for political change. “The issues before Nigerians are too serious for us to be distracted by unnecessary divisions. Our focus must remain on insecurity, the economy, unemployment and the future of our country,” Dickson said. He urged supporters to channel their energy towards mobilising voters and promoting the party’s message rather than engaging in internal attacks, maintaining that the NDC leadership remains intact and united.

Dickson Fires Back at Obi, Kwankwaso Supporters: ‘Stop Running Down NDC

Okonkwo Reacts to Peter Obi’s ₦5bn Lawsuit Threat, Says ‘He’s Looking for Campaign Funds’

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) , Kenneth Okonkwo, has dismissed the N5 billion lawsuit threat issued against him by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) , Peter Obi, over alleged defamation. Okonkwo, who served as a spokesperson for Obi during the 2023 presidential campaign when both were members of the Labour Party, made his position known in a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday morning. NewsTrends.ng earlier reported that Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, had threatened to file a N5 billion lawsuit against Mr Okonkwo if he fails to withdraw his allegations against him, pay N5 billion as compensation and tender public apology within seven days. The former governor had, in his pre-action letter to Mr Okonkwo on Tuesday, claimed the ADC chieftain defamed him by alleging that he defrauded House of Representatives aspirants of N10 million each and went ahead to write a list of candidates for various federal constituencies in the South-east.

In his first public response on Wednesday morning, Mr Okonkwo laughed off Mr Obi’s lawsuit threat. In a post on his verified X handle, the ADC chieftain mocked Mr Obi, saying the NDC presidential candidate should have approached him for financial assistance if he needed funds for his campaigns rather than allegedly embarking on “extortion.” “It has been brought to my notice that there is a letter circulating online from the hypocrite, Peter Obi, and his Lawyers that I should pay him N5b. Hahaha!” he wrote. “If Peter Obi is looking for money to campaign, he should privately ask me for assistance, not come from extortion, and I will help him.” The former Labour Party chieftain claimed that he personally incurred expenses while serving as Obi’s spokesperson during the 2023 election campaign. “I did so when I was his Spokesperson paying for my flight tickets and booking for my hotel accommodation to some of our campaigns,” he said.

Okonkwo also warned that Obi’s lawyers should take responsibility for any information that could emerge if the dispute proceeds to court. He suggested that he possesses sensitive information obtained while serving as Obi’s spokesperson but has refrained from making it public out of principle. “Let me sound this note of warning, the Lawyers must take responsibility for any information I may have to divulge, which I acquired as a spokesperson, but which by my conscience I have not shared with anyone,” he stated. The former spokesperson said although his principle is that he does not use “any confidential information” he shared with people against them, Mr Obi might compel him to do so. “Anyone who decides to sue his former spokesperson for defamation is indeed very unwise,” he said of Mr Obi’s threat to sue him.

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Mr Okonkwo then challenged Mr Obi to sue him even as he claimed he had not read the letter and would respond after doing so later on Wednesday. “I will reply to the letter whenever I have the time to read it later in the day. Please send it here if you have it. It will be a shame to Peter Obi and his lawyers if they do not take this case to court,” he said in the X post. The ADC chieftain again described Mr Obi as a “hypocrite” and “a scammer” despite the pre-action letter, adding, “I don’t have time or patience for scammers.”

A House of Representatives aspirant in the NDC from Anambra State, Obunike Ohaegbu, has denied telling Mr Okonkwo that Mr Obi scammed him of N10 million or wrote list of candidates in a hotel room. But in the X post, Mr Okonkwo uploaded a screenshot of his WhatsApp chats with Mr Ohaegbu as evidence of the allegation against Mr Obi. However, in the WhatsApp chat, an individual he claimed to be Mr Ohaegbu sent him a message that “…I am saying that I was scammed and the party blames PO.” The chat did not show the individual alleging that Mr Obi or the South-east NDC caucus collected N10 million bribe from him or any other aspirant. Reacting to the post, an X user, Michael Adewuyi, commented, apparently disputing Mr Okonkwo’s claims: “Even though I am not an NDC supporter, you are a big Liar! What is in those text messages exchange is not what you have been saying. ‘The aspirant said he was scammed and the party blames PO’ while you have been saying that the aspirant said PO scammed him. You are a very dishonest individual. What a shame!”

Mr Okonkwo also uploaded on the microblogging platform a bank transaction receipt of N10 million reportedly forwarded to him by Mr Ohaegbu as evidence of the extortion. However, NewsTrends.ng observed that the receipt showed that the payment was made to the official NDC bank account, not Mr Obi’s account or NDC South-east caucus’s account as he earlier claimed. Some X users faulted him for uploading weak evidence, with many saying the receipt looked like payment for NDC expression of interest form. “Okonkwo should have his time in court or apologise to Peter Obi. What he (Okonkwo) presented as evidence of payment to Obi is just payment for party nomination,” an X user (@HAHayatu) wrote.

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The legal threat stems from Okonkwo’s allegations during his Channels Television’s “Sunrise Daily” appearance on Monday, June 8, 2026, where he claimed that House of Representatives aspirants were coerced into paying a N10 million bribe under Obi’s watch, with Senate aspirants allegedly asked to pay N20 million. Obi’s legal team, led by Chief Alex Ejesieme (SAN) , outlined six specific defamatory statements in their pre-litigation letter, including that Okonkwo alleged that Obi personally wrote candidate lists at the Johnwood Hotel in Abuja, demanded and collected bribes, extorted and swindled political aspirants, is a fraudster and scammer, and travels abroad to collect money from people. The legal team argued that these statements have caused “irreparable damage” to Obi’s reputation as a man of integrity. The letter demanded that Okonkwo withdraw the statements, issue an “unequivocal and unreserved” public apology across all platforms, provide a written undertaking to cease further defamatory statements, and pay N5 billion in general, aggravated, and exemplary damages.

Mr Ohaegbu, who was the NDC candidate for the Nnewi North/South/Ekwusigo Federal Constituency, denied telling Mr Okonkwo that Mr Obi scammed him. In a telephone interview, Mr Ohaegbu stated: “I never told Kenneth Okonkwo that Peter Obi asked me to pay N10 million. I never told him that Peter Obi wrote any list in any hotel. What I told him was that there were allegations that some people were writing lists in hotels, but I never mentioned Peter Obi’s name.” This direct contradiction raises serious questions about the authenticity of Okonkwo’s claims and whether the WhatsApp screenshots have been taken out of context or selectively edited to misrepresent the aspirant’s position.

The latest exchange marks a complete breakdown of the former alliance between the two politicians who worked closely during the 2023 presidential election. Following political realignments and his departure from the Labour Party to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Okonkwo has frequently criticized Obi’s political stability and leadership choices ahead of the 2027 election cycle. As of press time, Obi’s legal team has not issued any further statement regarding Okonkwo’s response. The seven-day ultimatum given to Okonkwo to comply with the demands is still running, and it remains to be seen whether Obi will proceed with the lawsuit or if both parties will reach an out-of-court settlement. Legal analysts note that proving defamation requires showing that Okonkwo’s statements were false, malicious, and caused actual damage. However, if Okonkwo can prove his evidence is authentic, the defense of justification (truth) could apply in court.

Okonkwo Reacts to Peter Obi’s ₦5bn Lawsuit Threat, Says ‘He’s Looking for Campaign Funds’

Okpebholo: There Is No Vacancy in Aso Rock Despite Rising Insecurity

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has alleged that certain individuals are sponsoring insecurity in parts of Nigeria in a bid to distract President Bola Tinubu and undermine his administration.

Okpebholo made the remarks during the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign for the forthcoming local government council elections in Edo South Senatorial District, where party leaders and supporters gathered to unveil candidates for the polls.

The governor claimed that recent spikes in insecurity, including cases of kidnappings and violent attacks, were not coincidental but allegedly orchestrated by political opponents seeking to discredit the current administration.

He further declared that such actions would not yield political gain, insisting that no amount of instability would alter the political structure at the national level.

“They can even kidnap all of us—yes, there is no vacancy in Aso Rock,” he said.

Okpebholo added that promoting insecurity would not secure electoral victories for any group, warning that those behind such actions risk worsening the situation for ordinary Nigerians.

“There is no vacancy in Aso Rock. What is happening today is the handiwork of the opposition,” he said.

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“They have failed. Have they not failed? Is it by kidnapping children? Then who are you going to govern? There will be nobody for you to govern. So let them give us peace so that we can rule well,” he added.

The governor also defended the performance of President Tinubu’s administration, saying the government has delivered more than its predecessors, particularly in economic reforms and infrastructure development.

He cited the removal of fuel subsidy as one of the key policies whose impact, according to him, is already visible in development projects across Edo State and other parts of the country.

Okpebholo also praised candidates who emerged from the APC primaries for the upcoming council elections, expressing confidence that their victories would contribute to the party’s broader political goals ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said the state chapter of the APC was targeting strong electoral performance, including what he described as a pledge of 2.5 million votes for President Tinubu in the next general election.

Also speaking at the event, the Edo State APC Chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, described the party as the only viable political platform in the state and urged candidates to consolidate on the governor’s development agenda.

He called on them to take the government’s achievements to grassroots communities and ensure wider political support across local government areas.

The event also featured the formal unveiling of APC candidates for Edo South, including Ogbeide Ihama (Senate), Dr Paddy Iyamu (Oredo Federal Constituency), and Omorede Igbinedion (Ovia Federal Constituency), among others.

The development comes amid rising political rhetoric in Edo State ahead of local government elections, with parties intensifying campaigns and making competing claims over governance performance and national political direction.

Okpebholo: There Is No Vacancy in Aso Rock Despite Rising Insecurity