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2027: Dickson’s move to quit PDP sparks debate
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The senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, on Wednesday, set off a fresh round of political calculations after announcing that he would make a “major announcement” on Thursday.
The move was widely interpreted as a formal declaration of his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to a new party.
The former Bayelsa State governor, who serves on the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, is expected to unveil his next political steps at a press conference scheduled for 2:00 pm on Thursday.
Comments on his post on X and speculations pointed to a newly formed party, the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
The NDC, a new political party recently registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, is touted as the next destination for the Bayelsa West senator to challenge the All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State.
The development follows the defection of Governor Douye Diri from the PDP to the APC, a move that altered the state’s political equation and unsettled the opposition structure.
Dickson, however, stopped short of naming his next political destination in a terse statement posted on his official X handle on Wednesday.
He wrote, “A Major Announcement is Coming!!! Tomorrow, Thursday, 5th March 2026, at 2:00 PM. I will be making an important statement at a Press Conference addressing the future of our people and our democracy.
“Stay tuned. Be ready. Be part of the moment. #NDC #NigeriaPolitics #2027Elections.”
Despite the suggestive hashtags, the senator was mum on specifics.
When contacted, his aide, Ajiri Daniel, also declined comment on the planned defection.
“Let us not be in a hurry. Senator Dickson will address whatever questions you will raise at the press conference tomorrow,” he said.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress is one of two political parties recently registered by INEC under the leadership of its Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, during the commission’s first regular consultative meeting with political parties in February 2026.
Amupitan disclosed that out of 171 political associations that applied for registration, only the Democratic Leadership Alliance met all statutory requirements, while the NDC was registered in compliance with a Federal High Court order.
The NDC’s entry into the political arena has already begun reshaping alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly in states like Bayelsa, where party loyalties are fluid.
Dickson’s cryptic message triggered a flurry of reactions on social media, reflecting both support and scepticism.
Reacting to his post, a certain Elder Otunba @de_generalnoni stated, “There’s nothing major. You are going to ADC! You are irrelevant in the game squad!”
The Duke of Nigeria @xagreat also said, “I hope you are not joining the devilish APC.”
“You will be buried politically if you make the mistake of defecting to ADC,” another X user, Olalekan Ojomu, warned.
However, @sir_dollf praised him, saying, “The good people of Bayelsa will stand with you!!!! The Ofurumapepe of the ND.”
On Facebook, a legal practitioner, Igu Emmanuel, said, “The last man standing. I hope you are not planning to decamp to APC. Please do not. I like your boldness.”
A digital creator, Daniel Usoro, also jeered, saying, “Announcements by Nigerian politicians no longer surprise us.”
When contacted for reaction, the factional National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ini Emomobong, declined immediate comment.
“I just boarded a plane now. Let us talk later when I disembark,” he told our correspondent.
Dickson has long positioned himself as a vocal critic of the ruling APC and remains one of the most prominent opposition figures in the Senate.
His influence within Bayelsa politics, where he previously served as governor, has often made him a rallying point for anti-APC forces in the state.
His planned move comes barely three weeks after he urged members of the Senate and House of Representatives conference committee on the Electoral Amendment Bill to adopt in full the version passed by the House, warning that any dilution of the electronic transmission provision could undermine electoral integrity.
That push ultimately failed, as President Bola Tinubu assented to the controversial 2026 Electoral Act amendment after the National Assembly passed it into law amid protests from opposition parties and civil society groups.
With the PDP weakened in Bayelsa following Diri’s defection, Dickson’s expected switch to the NDC signals a potential realignment of opposition politics in the oil-rich state.
Whether the move consolidates a new opposition bloc or further fragments the anti-APC front will likely become clearer after Thursday’s much-anticipated announcement.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Gianni Infantino was “the wrong man” to lead Fifa after a senior adviser to the president resigned and a third confederation opposed his plan to sell stakes in competitions to private investors.
Burnham was critical of the proposal when it was first announced, and told reporters on Friday: “This was an outrageous suggestion.
“The idea that it could even be brought forward shows that, in my view, [he] is the wrong man to lead the organisation.”
Burnham was speaking hours after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said it “stands in solidarity” with counterparts in Europe and North, Central America and the Caribbean.
The AFC added Infantino’s plan could not “realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward”.
“The Fifa World Cup is the pinnacle of global football and derives its strength from the participation of all Confederations and the world’s leading football nations,” it said.
“Any proposal that risks undermining the unity and universal character of the competition must be reconsidered.”
Shortly after that statement, Carlos Cordeiro – Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance – resigned, saying the proposal was “a bad deal for football” and would “mortgage football’s future”.
The AFC’s statement means Infantino’s plans are unlikely to be approved by Fifa members if put to a vote.
Infantino had indicated the proposals would need a straight majority to go through – meaning 106 of its 211 members needed to vote in favour for the proposal.
Uefa – the body that governs European football – has 55 votes. Concacaf, which oversees football in North, Central America and the Caribbean, has 35 and Asia has 46.
Should all member associations back the stance of their governing body, that would mean 136 nations are against Infantino’s plan.
•BBC Sports
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has announced the death of its Enugu State Sector Commander, Corps Commander Franklin Agbakoba.
Agbakoba passed away on Thursday, July 30, while receiving medical treatment at the Niger Foundation Hospital in Enugu, bringing an end to his service with the road safety agency.
The sad development was confirmed in a statement issued on Friday by the Deputy Corps Commander in charge of Operations in Enugu State, Kyrian Okolo.
“The FRSC Enugu State Sector Command received the sad news of the demise of Corps Commander Franklin Agbakoba on Thursday, 30 July,” the statement read.
According to the FRSC, the late sector commander’s remains have been deposited at the Eastern Medical Centre in Enugu.News
The agency, however, did not disclose the nature of the illness that led to his death or provide further details surrounding the circumstances of his passing.
Until his death, Agbakoba was widely recognised for his commitment to improving road safety and strengthening collaboration among security, emergency response and other relevant agencies operating in Enugu State.
During his tenure, he championed initiatives aimed at enhancing inter-agency cooperation, reducing road traffic crashes and promoting public awareness on road safety regulations.
The FRSC also credited him with fostering strategic partnerships that contributed to the advancement of road safety campaigns and the effective delivery of its mandate across the state.
His death has been described as a significant loss to the Corps, colleagues and stakeholders in the transportation and emergency response sectors who worked closely with him during his time in office.
Further announcements regarding funeral arrangements are expected to be made by the family and the Federal Road Safety Corps in due course.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed claims by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that it manually submitted its list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, including the nomination of former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate.Executive Branch
The electoral body reiterated that political parties are required to submit the names of their candidates exclusively through its designated electronic nomination portal, casting doubt on the faction’s assertion that it resorted to manual submission after allegedly being denied access to the system.
INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Ita-Messi, made the clarification in an interview with Leadership in Abuja on Friday while responding to the claims made by the PDP faction.
Although she declined to confirm whether any documents had been received from the group, Ita-Messi stressed that the commission has a clearly defined procedure for the submission of candidates’ names.
“I am not in a position to confirm that to you, but can only tell you that there are procedures for submitting the names of political parties’ candidates to the INEC portal,” she said.
She also questioned the consistency of the faction’s claims, noting that it was contradictory to allege being denied access to the electronic platform while simultaneously claiming to have successfully submitted a list of candidates.
“If the faction claimed that they were denied access to the code, how did they submit the list of their candidates to the commission?” Ita-Messi asked.
INEC’s response comes a day after the Kabiru Turaki-led faction held a press conference in Abuja, where it announced that it had submitted its list of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The faction claimed the list included former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate, alongside nominees for governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly positions.
According to the group, it adopted the manual submission process after the commission allegedly refused to provide the access codes required to upload candidates through INEC’s electronic portal.
The faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, maintained that the manual submission complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 despite the alleged denial of access to the online platform.
Ememobong also accused INEC of failing to remain neutral in the ongoing leadership dispute within the PDP, alleging that the commission had ignored relevant facts and judicial decisions relating to the party’s internal crisis.
The leadership tussle within the PDP has produced rival groups laying claim to the party’s national structure, with both sides seeking recognition from the electoral commission ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
INEC, however, has consistently maintained that political parties must comply with its established guidelines and statutory procedures for the nomination and submission of candidates.
UK PM Burnham slams Infantino, says he’s the ‘wrong man’ to lead FIFA
SAD: FRSC Enugu Sector Commander Is Dead
INEC Rejects PDP’s Submission Of Jonathan As 2027 Presidential Candidate
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