NDC not selling tickets to highest bidders — Dickson

Senator and national leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, has dismissed allegations that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is selling nomination tickets to aspirants, insisting that the party does not award positions based on financial strength.

Dickson spoke in an interview on Arise TV on Wednesday amid complaints from some aggrieved party members over the conduct of NDC primaries in Edo and Imo states, as well as allegations that party tickets were being sold in Imo and Rivers states.

Responding to the claims, the senator said disputes and accusations are common during party primaries, particularly when there is a surge in membership and intense competition for tickets.

“We are not selling positions. In every primary, whether in PDP, APC, these things happen. When we have a sudden rush of interest in membership, and a number of this is located to some states, because of the huge interest, there is an element of desperation, and they are want to get the tickets, in this context of direct primaries, so it leads claims and counter claims,” Dickson said.

“But let me tell you as a fact, the NDC does not sell nomination tickets to people based on what you have.”

He acknowledged that political parties often assess the financial capacity of aspirants, especially when they are seeking to challenge incumbents backed by state resources, but stressed that such considerations should not be mistaken for the sale of party tickets.

According to him, politics requires substantial funding and it is legitimate for party stakeholders to ask prospective candidates about their ability to finance campaigns.

“People can make all kinds of claims, and talk as activists, but in the real political war, resources are key,” he said.

“It is actually legitimate, not just for NDC, to ask do you have the resources to get there? Because most of them it is out of exuberance.”

Dickson noted that the NDC is not a wealthy party capable of financing all its candidates and therefore relies on contributions and donations from aspirants to support its activities.

“It is not all candidates in the NDC that are financed, no, we are not a billionaire party,” he said.

He explained that donations made by aspirants are paid into official party accounts and are not conditions for obtaining nomination tickets.

“What we don’t do, is give me this before you get ticket, that does not happen in NDC,” Dickson stated.

“What we have done because we are self-funding party, aspirants make contributions and donations to the party account, and it applies to all categories of aspirants including the presidential aspirants. Presidential aspirant is to make donation to the presidential campaign account, not to anybody, we gave our platform to them without discussing money.”

The senator maintained that allegations of ticket sales were isolated incidents and did not reflect the party’s standard practice.

“I can’t be leading a party that does that. All those claims are localised issues. They are not the norms,” he said.

Vanguard News

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