Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has criticised the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, accusing the party of lacking a concrete programme for Nigeria.

Onanuga said in a statement on Friday that the NDC was “a camp for the politically displaced and desperate,” while questioning the party’s readiness to govern.

His remarks come as the NDC continues to gain attention following the defection of Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the party.

According to Onanuga, the NDC is no different from the ADC because it has failed to present a unique direction for the country.

“Like ADC, the NDC has no plan for Nigeria yet,” Onanuga said.

The presidential aide explained that he recently visited the NDC’s website on two occasions to examine whether the party had outlined “a markedly different vision for the governance of Nigeria,” compared to President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.

However, he said his search yielded no result, despite prompts on the website directing visitors to access the party’s manifesto.

“‘No document found’ was the response I got each time I tried to download the manifesto,” Tinubu’s aide said.

Onanuga also expressed concern that the party had spoken about pursuing an ideological contest in the 2027 election, but had yet to upload a manifesto since it secured court registration in February.

He added that the only policy direction currently visible on the party’s website consists of six policy points described as pillars.

According to him, the ideas presented do not appear substantial enough to qualify as pillars, arguing instead that they “sound more like the platitudes the party’s newest catch, Peter Obi, has bombarded the nation with in the last six years”.

Despite his criticism, Onanuga said he remains interested in seeing the NDC eventually unveil its vision and mission for Nigeria.