Senator Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West, has defected from the Peo­ples Democratic Party (PDP) to the newly regis­tered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The former governor of Bayelsa State announced his decision during a me­dia briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

Senator Dickson noted that the irreconcilable dif­ferences in the PDP shrunk its umbrella which could no longer accommodate many members including himself.

He lamented that the PDP has lost its voice on national issues, saying the leadership tussle crippled the party totally.

According to him, the de­velopments compelled him to seek a new political plat­form that aligns with his current aspirations.

Dickson said his decision to join the Nigeria Demo­cratic Congress followed the party’s recent registration by the Independent Nation­al Electoral Commission (INEC).

Shortly after his an­nouncement, the leader­ship of the NDC formally received him into the party.

He was presented with the party’s official flag and issued a membership card numbered “001,” symbolis­ing his status as one of the founding members of the political platform.

Dickson served as gover­nor of Bayelsa State from 2012 to 2020 before he was elected to the Senate in 2023 on the platform of the PDP.

His defection comes amid rising concerns over inter­nal divisions within the PDP and a growing wave of defections as political alignments begin ahead of the 2027 general elections.