LEADERSHIP Management Presents 2026 Politician of the Year Notification to NDC National Leader, Dickson

The management of LEADERSHIP Newspaper, led by its Vice Chairman, Mr. Mike Okpere, on Thursday formally presented the notification of the LEADERSHIP Politician of the Year 2026 Award to the National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, at his residence in Abuja.

The presentation followed the newspaper’s earlier announcement of Dickson as the recipient of the prestigious award, which recognises his record of public service, political leadership and role in the emergence of the NDC as a major opposition platform in Nigeria.

Receiving the notification, Dickson expressed appreciation to the Board and Management of LEADERSHIP for the honour, saying the recognition was significant because neither he nor members of his political team had prior knowledge of the nomination.

He said the award was therefore not merely a personal honour but a recognition of the NDC and all lovers of democracy who had supported the party’s emergence.

Reflecting on the journey that led to the establishment of the NDC, the former Bayelsa State Governor said the party was founded at a difficult period when few believed that a new political platform could become formidable.

Dickson said that following what he described as the decline of his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he made a principled decision not to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), because he did not believe Nigeria should become a one-party state.

Rather than join another existing political platform, he said he chose to establish the NDC as an alternative platform for Nigerians and contribute to strengthening multiparty democracy.

“Months down the line, we have built a formidable party and a major opposition platform in Nigeria,” he said, thanking Nigerians, NDC leaders, officials, members and supporters for their confidence, commitment and sacrifice.

He also acknowledged the partnership of the NDC presidential candidate, His Excellency Peter Obi, CON, and its Vice-Presidential candidate, His Excellency Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, CON, in the political project.

With the party having selected its candidates for the 2027 general elections, Dickson urged NDC members to put disagreements arising from the nomination process behind them and concentrate on mobilising support for all the party’s candidates.

He said the party’s energy should be directed towards building the NDC and challenging the ruling party through democratic means, rather than internal disagreements and destructive propaganda.

The NDC National Leader also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the security agencies to ensure a peaceful and fair political environment in which all parties and candidates can campaign freely across the country.

He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders to support the conduct of free, fair and credible elections, stressing that elections should strengthen national unity rather than endanger it.

Dickson further appealed to politicians to respect the judiciary and avoid turning every political disagreement into a court case, saying political disputes should ultimately be resolved through the ballot in accordance with democratic principles.

He reaffirmed his commitment to the growth of multiparty democracy in Nigeria, describing it as a sacrifice he had chosen to make.

Dickson dedicated the award to the leadership and members of the NDC, as well as Nigerians who had believed in the party’s mission and supported its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic space.

He also thanked LEADERSHIP for sustaining what he described as the ideals and dreams of its late Chairman, Sam Nda-Isaiah.

The LEADERSHIP Politician of the Year 2026 Award is part of the newspaper’s annual awards programme. The main awards ceremony is scheduled to hold on December 1 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.