Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The National Vice Chairman, North Central of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Barnabas J. Ejisi, has has referred to the newly formed political party as a “political ambulance” ready to rescue and salvage Nigerians who have been abandoned by other political parties.
Ejisi made the remark on Friday during a one-day stakeholders’ interactive meeting involving party aspirants and stakeholders held at Tazu Luxury Hotel in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
Speaking at the gathering, the NDC stalwart said the party was established at the right time to accommodate aggrieved politicians and Nigerians seeking purposeful leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“An ambulance is what is used to convey casualties. We have a lot of political casualties on the ground and by the arrival of NDC, you can see the casualties that the ambulance is already conveying
all those dead parties, wounded, dejected and thrown overboard. We are here to rescue such parties,” he said.
He commended the leadership of former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, describing him as a visionary leader who foresaw the current political realities in the country.
“This vision is not only a leader, it is a visionary leader. He saw the future like a Nostradamus. The party came at the right time, in the right place, to deliver the people. That is why we are proud that it came as a political ambulance,” Ejisi said.
He further that the party stands for service and dignity, noting that the NDC slogan reflects its mission to serve Nigerians rather than seek power for selfish interests.“NDC is about service. That is why our slogan is not power, it is service,” he stated.
He also lauded the records of former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, saying his style of governance remains a model of accountability and prudent management of public resources.
“While governors were spending money, Peter Obi was gathering money for Anambra and left huge savings behind. Nigerians need people that will serve them, not exploit them,” he said.
The NDC chieftain disclosed that he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because the ideals upon which the party was founded had been abandoned by those currently controlling it.
“I left PDP for this party. People who benefited from the PDP later destroyed the party. It is like somebody using a ladder to climb a fence and then destroying the ladder so nobody else can use it,” he said.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Nasarawa State Chairman of the NDC, Hon. Dogo Shammah, described the meeting as historic and said the party was positioning itself as a credible alternative ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said delegates from the six North Central states and the Federal Capital Territory attended the interactive session, a development he noted reflected the growing popularity of the party across the region.
“The Nigeria Democratic Congress is a newly registered political party, but we are not new to the aspirations of the Nigerian people,” he said.
According to him, the party was already attracting major opposition figures and political heavyweights committed to rescuing Nigerians from what he termed maladministration under the APC-led governments.
“What sets NDC apart is our stable leadership at all levels, leadership that is focused, disciplined and devoid of crisis,” Shammah stated.
He urged party stakeholders to strengthen the party structures in their various states, stressing that Nigerians were yearning for credible and people-oriented leadership.
Shammah further assured party members that the NDC in Nasarawa State would present credible candidates for all elective positions through consensus arrangements aimed at promoting unity within the party.
Also speaking after the stakeholders’ meeting, one of the frontline senatorial aspirants for Nasarawa North Senatorial District under the NDC, Hon. Duba Ishaya Dodo, expressed satisfaction with his decision to join the party.
Dodo maintained that he possesses the capacity to contest for the Senate seat and pledged to focus on people-oriented representation if elected.“For me to come out to vie for the position of the Senate, I know I have the capacity,” he declared.
The aspirant said the NDC’s ideology was centred on improving the lives of ordinary Nigerians rather than focusing only on infrastructural projects.
He called on Nigerians to embrace the new party and reject vote-buying during elections.
Quoting Peter Obi, he said, “If you tell me everything is okay, then I don’t think I will work with you because Nigeria is not okay. Nigeria is not working and NDC is here to fix Nigeria.”
