A spokesperson of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Brian Dennis, has given a detailed account of internal party negotiations involving activist Aisha Yesufu, revealing that she declined an offer to contest for a House of Representatives seat despite intervention from party leaders and political figures.
Dennis, the Deputy Director of Publicity and Strategic Communication for the NDC, said discussions were held involving former presidential candidate Peter Obi and party leader Seriake Dickson, who reportedly encouraged Yesufu to contest the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency seat rather than pursue a Senate ticket for the Federal Capital Territory.
According to him, Yesufu had initially declared interest in the Senate seat after joining the party, but another aspirant, Amanda Pam, had already built a strong grassroots structure and long-standing support base within the constituency.
He said Pam’s groundwork and mobilisation efforts predated the arrival of both Obi and Yesufu into the party, and that the leadership had already committed support to her senatorial ambition.
Dennis explained that the party leadership, while recognising Yesufu’s prominence as an activist, attempted to accommodate her political ambition by offering her the House of Representatives ticket as a consensus candidate.
He added that Obi personally intervened during discussions, while Dickson maintained that he could not withdraw a prior commitment made to Pam.
“Dickson told her, ‘No, I am a man of my word. I already gave my word to someone,’” Dennis said.
He further explained that both Obi and Dickson appealed to Yesufu over a two-day period to accept the arrangement, noting that the House of Representatives ticket was presented to her without opposition and with assurances of party backing.
“Obi told Aisha, ‘Take this thing. This is good for your career. You have not been in elective office before,’” he said.
Dennis said the offer included assurances that she would emerge unopposed if she accepted the constituency ticket, describing it as a consensus arrangement backed by senior party figures.
According to him, Yesufu ultimately declined the proposal, insisting on her preference to contest the Senate seat instead.
“Aisha said no,” he stated.
He added that her refusal came after what he described as extensive persuasion from both Obi and Dickson, including advice that she begin her political career in the House of Representatives, as many prominent politicians had done.
Dennis also claimed that the House of Representatives ticket was later contested by multiple aspirants after Yesufu turned it down, with 23 individuals reportedly purchasing nomination forms for the seat.
He argued that the party had been prepared to clear the path for her candidacy if she had agreed to accept the offer.
“She declined. She did not agree,” he said.
Dennis challenged Yesufu to publicly dispute his version of events, insisting that the account reflected what transpired during internal consultations and negotiations.
The remarks were issued in a video statement shared on social media platform X, where he maintained that the party acted in good faith throughout the process and sought to accommodate her political ambitions within its structure.
The development highlights internal dynamics within the NDC as it navigates candidate selection and manages competing ambitions ahead of future elections.
