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According to a report by TVC News Nigeria on Friday, June 12, 2026, National President of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, has disclosed that prominent activist Aisha Yesufu was previously encouraged by both him and the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to contest for a seat in the House of Representatives but declined the opportunity.
Dickson made the revelation during a recent interview, excerpts of which circulated widely on social media on Friday.
According to the former Bayelsa State governor, Yesufu chose not to pursue the legislative position despite the intense competition typically associated with such elective offices.
“Peter Obi and I approached Aisha and suggested that she contest for a seat in the House of Representatives, but she was not interested,” Dickson said.
He noted that the position is highly sought after by many politicians, yet Yesufu decided against entering the race.
The disclosure comes amid growing debate over the NDC’s selection process for its Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Senate candidate.
Yesufu, who recently joined the NDC after leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had expressed interest in contesting the FCT senatorial seat. However, she later accused the party of compromising the process used to determine its candidate.
The activist alleged that the exercise was structured in a manner that favoured a preferred aspirant, Amanda Pam, after reports emerged that the party would not hold a primary election for the position.
Reacting to the development in a statement issued on Friday, Yesufu urged her supporters not to lose sight of the broader political objective ahead of the 2027 general elections.
She stressed that her involvement in politics was driven by a desire to advance the values she had long championed as a civil society advocate.
Yesufu stated that while she was aware of the challenges within Nigeria’s political system, she remained committed to maintaining her principles rather than pursuing political office at any cost.
According to her, entering partisan politics did not mean abandoning advocacy; instead, it provided another platform through which she could continue promoting accountability, transparency and good governance.
