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By Tracy Moses
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and current ULMWP Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, Comrade Timi Frank, has commended Senator Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa West for what he described as an act of courage and patriotism in defending Nigeria’s democracy.
Frank, in a statement he personally signed on Friday, praised Dickson for speaking truth to power by boldly condemning what he described as the anti-democratic tendencies of the Bola Tinubu-led administration during the joint session of the National Assembly held to commemorate Nigeria’s 26th Democracy Day on Thursday.
Recall that while addressing journalists shortly after the joint session of the National Assembly on Thursday, June 12, 2025, Senator Dickson, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), criticised President Tinubu for his silence on the unfolding political crisis in Rivers State, accusing the Federal Government of enabling a creeping “military-style suppression of democracy.”
“Let me start by saying Happy Democracy Day to all Nigerians, even though one might ask: are we truly happy?” Dickson said at the time. “Democracy is supposed to inspire hope, but what we saw today in the Senate was a direct assault on that hope.”
He expressed outrage that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, ignored his attempt to raise a constitutional point of order regarding a communication from the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ekwe Ibas (retd), seeking Senate confirmation of nominees into critical state commissions.
“My right as a Senator to raise a constitutional issue was completely disregarded,” Dickson had said. “The Senate President rushed through the President’s message and ignored my intervention. That’s not how democracy works. That’s how military regimes operate.”
He warned that attempts to legitimise unconstitutional governance in Rivers State undermined the very essence of June 12, which symbolises Nigeria’s hard-won democratic journey.
“You cannot preach democracy and practice autocracy,” he added. “President Tinubu’s speech was beautifully written, but his silence on Rivers betrays a troubling disregard for the rule of law.”
Frank described Senator Dickson as “a present-day hero and defender of democracy,” saying his intervention stood in sharp contrast to the silence and sycophancy of many politicians across party lines.
“Senator Dickson played the role of a true opposition figure by speaking the minds of ordinary Nigerians,” Frank stated. “He did not just make me proud as a citizen of Nigeria; he made me proud as an Ijaw son, as a Bayelsan, as a Niger Deltan, and indeed made the entire country proud by speaking truth to power.”
He added that while many lawmakers have chosen cowardice and silence in the face of dictatorship and impunity, Dickson emerged as a lone but courageous voice.
“Posterity will remember him for his principled stance in condemning the undemocratic tendencies of the Tinubu administration,” Frank said. “History will never forget that when Nigerians expected their leaders to rise and speak the truth, Dickson was one of the few who did.”
Frank accused the APC-led Federal Government of showing open disdain for democratic principles, adding that the suppression of dissenting voices and the coercion of opposition figures into the ruling party have become the new normal under President Tinubu’s administration.
He drew parallels between Dickson’s action and what obtains in developed democracies like the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, where lawmakers are known to hold their presidents accountable without fear.
“It may seem like he is alone, but the Nigerian masses are with him. Even if his colleagues fail to support him out of fear or selfish interest, Nigerians and the world stand solidly behind him,” Frank declared.
He further warned that Senator Dickson might face political backlash for his outspokenness but urged him to remain resolute.
“We know there might be plans to suspend him like others who have dared to speak the truth, but he must not be perturbed. It is better to stand with the people than to side with evil.”
He also took a swipe at the Senate Minority Leadership, alleging that the current Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, has failed to speak out against the excesses of the ruling party and has compromised the role of the opposition in the red chamber.
“If Nigeria were practicing true democracy, someone like Senator Dickson would be the Minority Leader. Sadly, the current opposition leadership has been emasculated and is now a willing tool in the hands of the ruling party,” Frank lamented.
He condemned the growing climate of intimidation and harassment targeted at opposition members, saying a government confident in its performance should not resort to fear tactics to win loyalty.
“This government will pass, but Nigeria will remain. Those who chose silence in the face of tyranny will have their own day of reckoning.”