TDM Aligns With The National Leader of NDC on Position of Support Groups

...orderliness is the foundation of increase, we will follow party's directives, vote top-to-bottom for all NDC candidates..._

A prominent member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and National Coordinator of The Dickson Movement (TDM), Comrade Emmanuel Ogbidi, has called on support groups within the party to align their activities with the directives and leadership of the NDC in order to promote unity, coordination and effective mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

TDM made the call in a statement issued and made available to journalists in Benin City, where he stressed the need for all support groups operating within the party's political structure to understand their roles and avoid actions that could create conflicting interests.

They said the position of the National Leader of the NDC on the role of support groups was clear, arguing that such groups were established to mobilise support for the party’s candidates and political causes rather than assume the leadership of the projects they support.

According to him, discipline and order remain essential to the growth of any organisation, adding that groups could unintentionally work at cross-purposes when their programmes and activities were not properly coordinated with the broader direction of the party.

"Support groups do not take the leading position. They follow the party, individuals, candidates or projects they are established to support and take their cue from them in advancing those projects.

"They are not supposed to direct the project. Their responsibility is to mobilise and advance the interests of the candidates and causes  they support within the framework provided by the party," he said.

TDM noted that several support groups had emerged across the country in support of NDC candidates at the national, state and local government levels, describing their activities as important to the party's mobilisation efforts.

He acknowledged that the groups might operate under different names and structures, with some reflecting religious, ideological, regional or other affiliations, but maintained that their common objective was the mobilisation of support for the party's candidates.

He said TDM recognised and appreciated the contributions of the various support groups, stressing that no single organisation could effectively mobilise the entire electorate for the presidential candidate in a diverse country such as Nigeria.

"Because of the nature of our democracy and the diversity of our nation, it is almost impossible for everybody to congregate under one umbrella. There will always be different groups with different identities and approaches, but should never conflict the operational structures of the party

"What is important is that they are mobilising support for the candidates of our party within the organised framework and, by doing so, they have a common interest. We appreciate their complimentary efforts and support their legitimate mobilisation activities," he added.

The TDM coordinator, however, clarified that his organisation would continue to operate in accordance with the directives, regulations, and overall political objectives of the NDC.

He said the movement was committed to supporting all NDC candidates across the various levels of the electoral contest rather than adopting a selective approach to its mobilisation.

"For us as The Dickson Movement for Democracy, we are committed to mobilising support in alliance with the directives and regulations of the party. We are not engaging in selective support.

"We are committed to total support, from the highest to the least of the candidates of the NDC, so that all our candidates can receive the necessary support in the 2027 election," Ogbidi stated.

He therefore urged other support groups to synchronise their programmes and activities with the party's leadership, saying such coordination would strengthen the collective political effort and prevent duplication or conflicting activities.

Ogbidi further commended the leadership of the NDC, particularly the National Leader, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Henry Siriake Dickson, for what he described as purposeful leadership and organisational direction.

He attributed the growing interest of prominent politicians in the NDC to the leadership and structure being provided by the party, while urging more Nigerians interested in the country's democratic development to identify with the party.

He said TDM would continue to mobilise Nigerians and work with other groups within the framework of the NDC to advance the party's political objectives.

TDM also called on support groups and their leaders to recognise the NDC as the political platform under which the party's candidates are contesting elections and to ensure that their activities complement, rather than contradict, the party's established structures and directives.

He said greater cooperation among the party leadership, candidates and support groups would strengthen the opposition's ability to participate effectively in Nigeria's democratic process ahead of the 2027 elections.