Seriake Dickson Warns Against Political Merchandising, Edo Lawmakers Join NDC

• Minority Leader Charity, Natasha Idibia align with emerging opposition bloc 

•Iyawe quits APC, accuses Okpebholo of betrayal

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and Felix Omoh-Asun in Benin

The National Leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, yesterday warned against what he described as “transactional defections” in Nigerian politics as more serving lawmakers from Edo State formally joined the emerging opposition movement in Abuja.

The event, attended by politicians, lawmakers and delegates from several states, underscored growing efforts to reposition and restructure the opposition landscape ahead of future elections.

At the centre of the gathering was Dickson’s strong message that the NDC must be built on ideology, discipline and grassroots organisation rather than political opportunism and short-term alliances.

Speaking to party supporters and new entrants, the former Bayelsa State governor declared that the NDC was not conceived merely as another electoral platform but as a long-term political movement aimed at institutional rebuilding and national renewal.

Dickson said, “You are not just joining this party; you are co-founders and co-builders. This is not a platform for transactional politics. It is a platform for ideological commitment and nation-building.”

He cautioned politicians against moving from one party to another solely for personal gain, insisting that political movements lacking ideological direction and internal cohesion rarely survive electoral cycles.

According to him, sustainable political success depended largely on strong grassroots structures capable of mobilising support beyond elite circles.

Dickson likened political parties to “living institutions” that must be constantly nurtured and strengthened from the ward level upward.

“A political party is like a horse. No matter how skilled the rider is, if the horse is weak or untrained, it cannot win a race,” he said.

The event’s major highlight was the formal reception of Minority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Aiguodalo Charity, alongside Natasha Osawaru Idibia, both of whom publicly aligned with the NDC and were presented with symbolic membership cards.

Their defection was interpreted in political circles as an early indication of the NDC growing influence within state legislatures, particularly in Edo State where political loyalties have remained fluid in recent years.

Aiguodalo described his decision to join the NDC as a product of ideological conviction rather than political convenience.

He said his political journey had been shaped by periods of uncertainty and reflection over whether principled politics could still thrive within Nigeria’s increasingly unstable party system.

Idibia described the movement as a “turning point for Nigeria,” saying her political alignment with the NDC was driven by conviction and belief in a new national direction.

“Politics has not been easy, but we thank God for standing steadfast. I have a leader whose values are his compass. He keeps reminding me of the youth and where this country is supposed to go,” she said.

A former Deputy Governor of Gombe State, John Lazarus Yoriyo, also described the development as part of a broader political transformation taking shape within Nigeria’s opposition space.

“This is a turning point for Nigeria. We are witnessing the beginning of a political movement that seeks to redefine how leadership is built and sustained,” he said

In a related development, the lawmaker representing Oredo Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Esosa lyawe, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC), Edo State chapter and Governor Monday Okpeholo of betrayal.

The lawmaker stated this while tendering his resignation letter to the party in Benin yesterday.

Lyawe, in a letter dated May 6, 2026 and addressed to ward 1, Oredo Local Government Area, attributed his resignation to the irreconcilable difference between him and Okpebholo of Edo State.

The lawmaker said there were differences between him and the party and  Edo State governor, which led him to resign from the party.

The federal lawmaker, who was elected on the platform of Labour Party (LP) in 2023, however, defected to APC on December 5, 2024.

Sources close to him said prior to his defection to the APC, he was promised a return ticket to the House of Representatives.

However, sensing that the party was not prepared to honour the agreement he  decided to throw in the towel.

Accordingly, Iyawe who had already bought the expression of interest form on the platform of the APC, said he was heading to Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC) to seek for the ticket.

While stating that he would align himself with the NDC, he added that he has withdrawn his expression of interest to contest.

The lawmaker, who said the decision to resign from the party  was in line with his current convictions and aspirations stated that his resignation was with immediate effect.