Former Bayelsa governor and serving senator, Seriake Dickson, has expressed deep disappointment over Nigeria’s worsening condition under the ruling All Progressives Congress, 11 years after a coalition of opposition forces, which he praised as “expert conspirators,” united to dislodge the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from power in 2015.
Speaking on Saturday at an event commemorating the 60th birthday of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Dickson took a reflective tone as he addressed a gathering that included former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai.
“When I came in here and climbing up here, I have seen a lot of you. And as my brother El-Rufai earlier said, there are a number of you who are expert conspirators, who know how to assemble coalitions and then take over the government as you did to my party in 2015,” Dickson said, acknowledging their political brilliance.
He described the 2015 APC merger, spearheaded by figures like El-Rufai, Amaechi, and others, as a historic political feat that was expected to mark the end of poor governance and economic hardship. However, the former governor lamented that instead of improvement, Nigeria has continued to slide into deeper poverty and insecurity.
“And when you did so, particularly to a clueless government, so-called, now 11 years down the line, we thought that there would have been no weaponisation of poverty and that all the challenges of Nigeria would be gone. But 11 years down the line, here we are, assembled to still bemoan the fate of our country,” he said.
His remarks come at a time when key political actors are exploring new alliances ahead of the 2027 elections, with Atiku, Amaechi, and El-Rufai being seen as central figures in ongoing coalition talks aimed at challenging Tinubu’s grip on power.
While expressing admiration for the political skills of those who led the 2015 coalition, Dickson did not hold back in criticising the outcomes of that historic power shift. He questioned the priorities of those in government, warning that infrastructure should not be a substitute for core public welfare.
“It is good for governors to build roads and flyovers, but then, you must identify priorities. Security, investing in education, investing in healthcare and showing and demonstrating democratic temper in the way you handle and manage things underline the truth,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Atiku appeared to embrace the label, jokingly describing himself, Amaechi and El-Rufai as “conspirators.” He used the opportunity to advise fellow political actors to tread carefully as they move to build new alliances.
“The only advice I can give, not being a professional coalition builder and conspirator, as some of you are, is that this time, shine your eyes. As you build a coalition and conspire, shine your eyes,” Atiku said.
The event served as a reunion for political heavyweights once united in defeating the PDP in 2015, but who are now scattered across different platforms and appearing to regroup amid widespread public dissatisfaction with Tinubu’s administration.
