AISHA YESUFU refused Reps ticket offer, said it was too small for her - Senator DICKSON

Monday, June 15, 2026 - Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, has alleged that activist Aisha Yesufu, a strong supporter of Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the party, rejected the offer of a House of Representatives ticket.

Yesufu, who followed Obi from Labour Party to African Democratic Party (ADC) and the NDC, had indicated interest in contesting senatorial election under the opposition party.

However, she withdrew from the race, alleging irregularities.

Amanda Pam, another aspirant, got the ticket for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) senatorial slot eyed by Yesufu.

The social commentator turned politician has since been attacking Dickson.

While reacting to a recent television interview granted by the NDC leader, Yesufu said she found a portion of the interview “painfully appalling” to watch.

She said Dickson’s first major media appearance after the party’s primaries should have focused on reassuring party members and promoting the party’s candidates ahead of the 2027 election.

In a series of posts on X, she wrote, “Your first one-on-one interview after the 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.”

Yesufu also rejected Dickson’s suggestion that some party members may have been unwilling to follow internal rules because of their popularity.

“While I took my time to properly address your allusion to 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 the Senate, I let things go and asked my teeming supporters to focus on the bigger picture,” she said.

But while reacting to the ongoing crisis within the party, Dickson said the NDC had made genuine efforts to accommodate prominent figures but was met with resistance.

According to him, the party leadership approached Yesufu with an opportunity to contest for a seat in the House of Representatives as part of its efforts to strengthen its electoral chances.

“We offered Aisha Yesufu a House of Representatives ticket, but she said it was too small for her,” Dickson said.

He argued that the allegation that the NDC sidelined certain individuals was unfounded, insisting that the party had provided opportunities for those willing to work within its structures.

Dickson maintained that the current disagreements within the party should not overshadow its broader objective of providing an alternative political platform for Nigerians.

Dickson asked those who believe in the presidency of Obi to fight to build the party, not to destabilise it.

“Anybody who believes in (Peter) Obi becoming president should not be talking down on the NDC or the leadership. You’re hurting yourself,” he said.