Former Bayelsa State Governor and National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, has hosted founding members, leaders and associates of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) at a reunion in Abuja.
Dickson disclosed this in a post on his X handle on Saturday, saying the gathering brought together political leaders who played roles in Nigeria’s democratic struggle and the emergence of the current democratic dispensation.
He recalled that Nigeria had only three registered political parties when the current democratic era began in 1998/1999, adding that his political journey started during the period as the founding State Chairman of the AD before he later became the party’s National Legal Adviser.
Among those who attended the reunion were one of the founding fathers of the AD, Chief Michael Odurinde; Prof. Udenta Udenta, the party’s founding National Secretary; and Dr Manzo Abubakar, former Protem National Publicity Secretary and leader of the AD Northern Caucus.
Dickson said the reunion provided an opportunity for the former AD leaders to reminisce about their contributions to Nigeria’s democratic development.
“The AD was an ideological and principled party,” he said.
He added that his experience in the AD, as well as his involvement in the Ijaw and Niger Delta movements, helped shape his approach to political organisation and principled opposition.
“My experience in the AD and my involvement in the Ijaw and Niger Delta movements taught me the art of organising people and groups since 1998, and prepared me for a life of principled opposition politics,” he said.
According to him, engaging in principled politics requires conviction, courage and commitment, qualities he said had continued to guide his political activities in the NDC.
Dickson expressed appreciation to the former AD leaders and associates who attended the event, noting that the participants also observed a minute’s silence in honour of deceased leaders and colleagues.
He said participants described the reunion as a long-overdue initiative and agreed to reconvene at a later date.
The former governor said the organising committee would work out modalities for a more inclusive gathering to enable those who could not attend the Abuja meeting to participate in subsequent events.
He added that a system had also been established to facilitate regular communication among members of the old political network and ensure that those unable to attend future meetings are notified in advance.
Dickson thanked the participants for honouring the invitation and wished them safe journeys to their respective destinations.
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