The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is strategically positioning itself to capitalize on the internal turmoil gripping the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the latter’s primaries, with a particular focus on Bayelsa State, which is the home base of NDC leader Senator Seriake Dickson. This was revealed in a statement issued on Thursday by Comrade Felix Osuobene, National Coordinator of the Sagbama/Ekeremor Grassroots Agenda.
According to Osuobene, Dickson was observed celebrating the outcome of the APC primaries in the Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency, where Bernard Kenibai emerged as the party’s candidate. The disputes within the APC, including controversies over screening processes, disqualification of aspirants, and internal discord, have captured national attention. Opposition strategists believe these issues provide a significant political opportunity as the 2027 general elections approach.
Osuobene highlighted that opposition elements in the Sagbama/Ekeremor constituency of Bayelsa calculate that the APC has weakened itself in an area it cannot afford to lose. He noted that Dickson’s celebration of Kenibai’s emergence reflects a view that Kenibai will be an easier opponent to defeat. The controversy centers on the exclusion of Prof. Princewill Woyinbrakemi Igbagara, an academic and technocrat with considerable grassroots and elite support, who was seen as the frontrunner.
Osuobene described this exclusion as a critical error by the APC, especially given President Bola Tinubu’s directive that the party field its strongest candidates in the 2027 elections. He outlined three pathways the NDC intends to exploit: voter apathy, silent defection, and propaganda. Voter apathy could arise if aggrieved APC stakeholders feel marginalized and refuse to mobilize for the party. Silent defection involves party loyalists who publicly stay with the APC but quietly deliver votes to the opposition. Propaganda benefits the NDC as it portrays itself as a cleaner alternative while the APC appears divided.
The statement emphasized that the stakes are high in the South-South region, where the APC has historically struggled to build unity. In Bayelsa, excluding a well-regarded local figure from the primary race reinforces perceptions of the APC as non-inclusive and undemocratic—perceptions the NDC is keen to amplify. Even if the APC leadership claims it acted within guidelines, the emotional reactions of supporters could lead to unintended political consequences. Osuobene concluded that the NDC is determined to turn every crack in the APC’s armor into a national conversation about the ruling party’s governance ahead of the elections.