Bayo Onanuga, the Senior Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has taken a swipe at former Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), asserting that the party is void of any real plan for the country.
In a statement released to News Point Nigeria on Saturday, Onanuga characterized the NDC as “a camp for the politically displaced and desperate.” These comments follow a surge in the party’s profile after high-profile figures, including 2023 Labour Party candidate Peter Obi and former Kano Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, moved from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to join the NDC ranks.
The presidential aide dismissed the NDC as being no different from the ADC, claiming it lacks a unique governance strategy. “Like ADC, the NDC has no plan for Nigeria yet,” Onanuga remarked.
He shared that he personally visited the NDC website twice recently to see if the party offered “a markedly different vision for the governance of Nigeria” that could rival President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
However, he claimed his search yielded nothing of substance.
“‘No document found’ was the response I got each time I tried to download the manifesto,” Onanuga said. He further voiced concern that “the party whose national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, said would wage an ideological battle in the 2027 poll has not uploaded any manifesto since it was court-registered in February.”
Onanuga noted that while the website features six policy “pillars,” he remains unimpressed by their depth. He argued that these points do not appear to be solid governance foundations but instead “sound more like the platitudes the party’s newest catch, Peter Obi, has bombarded the nation with in the last six years.”
While the Presidency remains critical of the opposition party’s current state, Onanuga concluded by saying he still hopes to eventually see the NDC’s official mission and vision as the 2027 general elections approach.
