By Precious Mark
Former Bayelsa State Governor and Senator representing Bayelsa West, Henry Seriake Dickson, on Saturday hosted founding leaders and stakeholders of the historic Alliance for Democracy (AD) at a reunion meeting in Abuja.
The gathering brought together key political figures who played major roles in the democratic struggle leading up to the return of civilian rule in 1999.
Among the prominent leaders present were AD founding father, Chief Michael Odurinde; the pioneer National Secretary of the AD, Prof. Udenta Udenta; and former Protem National Publicity Secretary and leader of the party’s Northern Caucus, Dr. Manzo Abubakar.
Speaking during the interactive session, Dickson reflected on his early political background, recalling his tenure as the pioneer Bayelsa State Chairman of the AD and later as its National Legal Adviser.
“As many will recall, when we began this democratic dispensation in 1998/1999, Nigeria had only three political parties,” Dickson said.
“The AD was an ideological and principled party. My experience in the AD and my involvement in the Ijaw and Niger Delta movements taught me the art of organising people and groups since 1998, and prepared me for a life of principled opposition politics,” he added.
The meeting observed a minute of silence in honor of deceased leaders and founding members of the party who contributed to shaping Nigeria’s fourth republic.
Participants at the session agreed to institutionalize the reunion, tasking an organizing committee with establishing continuous communication channels and coordinating wider outreach for subsequent national meetings.
Dickson noted that the initiative would ensure greater inclusion for former members and associates across the country, while preserving the historical ideals of principled political engagement in Nigeria.