Dickson Releases 2017 INEC Letter on NDC Registration

Senator Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West, responded to controversies regarding the registration of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) by releasing a letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dated 2017. This move aims to demonstrate that the NDC adhered to due process amid serious allegations from Umar Ardo, a prominent leader within the Democratic Alliance, who questioned INEC's integrity and claimed the commission ignored its own procedures in registering the NDC.

The situation became more complex when INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan announced in February 2026 that two associations qualified for final verification, despite the NDC's absence from an earlier list. Dickson shared the 2017 correspondence, signed by former INEC Secretary Augusta Ogakwu, which confirmed that the commission received the NDC's application and found it compliant with the requirements for political party registration under Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution.

He emphasized that the NDC's journey began nearly a decade ago and dismissed the current backlash as propaganda aimed at undermining the party's political movement.