Former Bayelsa State governor and Bayelsa West senator, Seriake Dickson, has denied reports that he has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), calling the claims false.
The denial was contained in a statement issued on Friday, January 9, by his media aide, Ajiri Daniels, which said Dickson “remains firmly in the PDP” and has not joined any other political party.
The statement also explained that the senator has stepped back from political activity because he is mourning the death of Bayelsa State’s Deputy Governor, Dr Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
“Dickson is presently in mourning following the death of the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Dr Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
“As a mark of respect, he has since stepped back from political activities during this period and has been busy receiving condolence visits from friends, political leaders, allies and well-wishers from across the country,” the statement noted.
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According to Daniels, the condolence visits have come from across the political divide and different walks of life.
While the statement said Dickson remains interested in national political developments, it added that he would only take any major political decision after the burial and after broad consultations, adding that any such decision would be communicated formally.
“In the meantime, he remains a key leader in the PDP and hopes that the party will get its act right, given its legacy contributions to Nigerian politics,” it added.
Dickson also urged PDP supporters and members of the public to ignore the defection story, describing it as fake news circulated to mislead Nigerians, and advised people to rely only on updates from his verified communication channels.
Speculation about Dickson’s political future has intensified in recent weeks amid the PDP’s lingering leadership crisis.