Activist and politician, Aisha Yesufu, has said that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) should be focused on winning the 2027 general election.

Yesufu said this in response to the National Leader of the NDC, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson’s interview on Arise TV where he defended the opposition party’s handling of its first primaries.

Dickson also sympathised with NDC aspirants over irregularities while blaming the Electoral Act’s compulsory direct primaries and noting the party’s four-month age amid tight electoral timelines.

The former Governor of Bayelsa State stressed that no winners have been formally announced, set up a reconciliation committee, promised technology-driven future primaries, and urged unity and support for the presidential and vice presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Replies to Dickson showed significant backlash from Obidient supporters who accused him of arrogance in the Arise TV interview for claiming he is more qualified than Obi and that the NDC is providing them a platform.

Also reacting on Thursday via a post on her official X account, Yesufu directly critiqued Senator Dickson’s interview following the NDC primaries, accusing him of self-focus, insecurity toward Obi and Kwankwaso, and treating the four-month-old party as an SPV rather than a vehicle to win 2027 elections.

Yesufu referenced her own experience pacifying FCT supporters after canceled senate primaries, urged Dickson to accept responsibility for irregularities instead of shifting blame, and stressed that leaders must pacify aggrieved aspirants and prioritise party unity for electoral success.

“Dear Senator Henry Seriake Dickson,
while I take my time to properly address your allusion of me not playing by the rules which I consider very disingenuous seeing how I followed the process and even when you had insisted there would be no primaries for senate I let things go and asked my teeming supporters to focus on the bigger picture, I toured the FCT pacifying my supporters and party people who rightfully felt disrespected as they were all waiting at their respective headquarters for primaries that never happened. (I played field politics, I never waited for anyone to give me ticket), I would like you as the National leader to watch this video again!,” she said.

“This part of the interview was so painfully appalling to watch. It looked as if you were insecure and in competition with your Presidential Candidate. Your first one on one interview after primaries and instead of selling your candidates and giving confidence to people on how set the road to winning the 2027 election was, you made it about yourself.

“With all due respect sir, it looks as if you consider the NDC a Special Purpose Vehicle whose aim has been achieved just by being registered instead of a Political Party whose aim is to win the 2027 General election decisively!!!! The registration of NDC should be a means to an end and not an end in itself.

“As a leader of a Political party, your number one job in that interview was to pacify aspirants many of whom are rightfully aggrieved and secondly to call on supporters to bear with the party and support it but you ended up antagonising the very people you would need to win election. Every vote counts! A leader must stoop to conquer!

“No one can take away your leadership of NDC, no one is interested in that! The focus is on Nigeria is winning the 2027 election! It looked as if you are fighting a war no one is waging with you. You don’t have anything to prove to anyone, just lead! It is also interesting how as a leader i see you shifting the blame with any process that doesn’t go well or is called out. Even in this statement below, you did! Take all responsibility! The party is young. It was overwhelmed. Mistakes will be made. Accepting the mistakes and being accountable is how the party will get better.”

Yesufu added: “There is a whole battle ahead of us. Rescuing Nigeria from the current state it is in, should be the main focus not people’s fragile ego!.”

The exchange highlights internal NDC tensions over manual primaries, reconciliation needs, and leadership style in a self-funded party without incumbents, amid broader Nigerian political realignments ahead of 2027.