Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, former governor of Bayelsa State and senator representing Bayelsa West, has criticised the All Progressives Congress, stating that the party has deepened divisions in Nigeria and weakened several indicators of national development.
Dickson made the remarks during an interview on TVC News on Sunday, March 8, 2026, where he discussed the political landscape and his views on governance in the country.
During the interview, the senator accused the ruling party of amplifying divisions across the nation. “The APC has left Nigeria more divided. The APC is built on the fault lines of our country, okay? Ethnicity and religious bigotry have taken center stage, and I can’t be associated—” he said.
The interviewer then asked for clarification on whether his remarks were directed at the current administration. “And all that is current administration?” the interviewer asked.
Responding, Dickson explained that his criticism was directed at the party as a whole rather than a specific administration. “No, no, it’s APC I’m talking about. It’s APC. The late President Buhari took Nigeria from top to bottom. APC. And here, the current President has taken Nigeria behind. Whether you talking of exchange rate? Whether are you talking? All indices of development,” he said.
He continued by stating that the developments in the country have reinforced his view that a new political direction is necessary. “So I feel that there is need for a new beginning,” Dickson added.
The Bayelsa West senator also spoke about the importance of opposition in a democratic system while referencing the role of the African Democratic Congress and other political platforms. “You talked about the ADC. First, I commend the leaders of the ADC, because you see, you can’t have democracy without opposition,” he said.
Dickson further reflected on his involvement in Nigeria’s political development since the early years of the current democratic dispensation. “My friends and colleagues who used to be in the AD with me, okay, some of them older people. The Alliance for Democracy, 1998. I was there when they were forming it. Then the People’s Consultative Forum. Most of the people who were there don’t even understand how it came about,” he said.
He also noted that several prominent political figures were part of those early political developments. “The President was part of it, okay? I was a young man following the masters, okay? Right from my own South-South and the Southwest, and across the country,” Dickson added.