The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is quietly positioning itself to benefit from the aftermath of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries in Bayelsa State, the home state of its national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson.
Comrade Felix Osuobene, the National co-ordinator of the Sagbama/Ekeremor Grassroots Agenda, who revealed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, said Senator Dickson was indeed spotted celebrating the post-primary crisis in the APC, with specific reference to the Sagbama/Ekeremor federal constituency seat in the State, where Hon. Bernard Kenibai emerged as the APC candidate.
He noted that the APC’s disputes over screening processes, disqualification of aspirants, and growing internal tensions in several states have already attracted widespread national media coverage.
Opposition strategists now believe the ruling party’s internal crisis has created a significant political opportunity ahead of the 2027 general elections, according to him.
He said the situation reflects a wider opposition belief that the ruling party has undermined its own position in a constituency it cannot afford to lose.
“Our sources confirmed that the national leader of NDC, Senator Seriake Dickson was seen celebrating the emergence of Hon. Bernard Kenibai as the APC candidate; viewed in political circles as an easier adversary,” Osuobene said.
The controversy revolves around Prof. Princewill Woyinbrakemi Igbagara, a respected academic and technocrat from the constituency who had reportedly secured strong grassroots and elite backing and was widely seen as the frontrunner before his alleged wrongful exclusion from the ballot.
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Osuobene described the exclusion as a significant error by the APC, especially in light of President Bola Tinubu’s firm directive that the party field its strongest candidates at all levels ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to Osuobene, opposition insiders believe the NDC now has three clear pathways to exploit the crisis. “The first is voter apathy. If aggrieved APC stakeholders feel sufficiently marginalized, many may simply refuse to mobilize for the party come election day — a potentially devastating outcome in a contest where presidential victories are built on the loyalty of local structures and grassroots foot soldiers.
“The second pathway is silent defection. Nigeria’s political history is littered with cases of discontented party loyalists who remain publicly committed to their party while quietly delivering votes to the opposition. The NDC is well positioned to attract frustrated political actors from within the APC who are searching for an alternative platform.
“The third and perhaps most immediate advantage is propaganda. Opposition parties thrive politically when the ruling party appears divided.
“For a party like the NDC, which is actively marketing itself as a cleaner, fairer political alternative, the spectacle of APC tearing itself apart in Sagbama/Ekeremor is ready-made campaign material.
“The stakes are particularly high in the South-South, where the APC has historically struggled to build a durable, unified structure. In Bayelsa State especially, the optics of excluding a well-regarded constituency son from a primary race risk reinforcing longstanding perceptions that the party is neither inclusive nor internally democratic — perceptions the NDC is eager to deepen.
“Even if the APC leadership believes it acted within party guidelines, the emotional reaction of supporters on the ground may produce unintended political consequences.
“In regions where the APC seeks to expand its influence, particularly the South-South, controversies that alienate local stakeholders could become valuable political capital for opposition movements like the NDC”, Osuobene warned.
As the 2027 election cycle approaches and President Tinubu’s re-election campaign begins to take form, the NDC seems intent on amplifying every weakness in the APC—no matter how local—into a broader national debate about the ruling party’s capacity to govern.
