The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives has called on the national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, to resign from his position to safeguard the future of the party.
The lawmakers, after an emergency virtual meeting on Saturday, resolved that the resignation of the national chairman would allow the PDP to have an early start in repositioning the party and at the same time save it from its current crisis.
While the caucus acknowledged that Secondus had contributed notably to the party in the past, it concluded that cogent accusations currently being levelled against his leadership had eroded his achievements.
According to the lawmakers, the accusations far transcend personal issues as there is an established consistent and persistent pattern of inadequate consultation, even with members of the PDP House Caucus, thereby giving rise to hitherto unspoken feelings of intra-party alienation in several quarters, including in the National Working Congress (NWC) headed by Secondus.
This, according to the lawmakers, has encouraged or fuelled the exit of many prominent and highly-experienced party members, with many more at the brink of leaving, if nothing is done fast.
The caucus, however, insisted on the resignation of the national chairman, noting that another three months of his leadership will do grave hurt to the party and put their political future in a precarious situation. The meeting expressed concern that Secondus appeared to be more content with occupying the office rather than constituting a formidable opposition to the government and preparing the PDP, the main opposition party, for the next election.
According to the lawmakers, there is no clear roadmap, blueprint, or policy programme for the PDP by the chairman; therefore, the party is allowed to flow with the tide, only showing up with weak press releases once in a while without commensurate sustainable action.
“To many, the national chairman seems much more content with occupying the office and, therefore, preoccupied with holding onto his position rather than preparing for the next elections. This explains his inexplicably missing endless opportunities that ought to have been utilised for consolidating a viable opposition, skewing party congresses to favour personal future ambition and frustrating genuine party members across states, which have resulted in the mass exit of party members at the National Assembly.”
The PDP lawmakers, however, urged the BoT and the party’s Governors’ Forum to ensure an immediate and firm resolution of the crisis.
PDP: Plot To Remove Secondus Will Fail – Suswam
“We urge the current national chairman Prince Uche Secondus to consider making the necessary personal sacrifice worthy of a leader in the party’s current and future interest with a firm assurance of honourable regard and appreciation by the party leadership now and in years to come, by honourably resigning his position as party chairman immediately, to allow the party an early start.
“The BoT and the Governors’ Forum of the PDP to ensure immediate and firm resolution of current challenges so as to enable a re-engineering, re-focusing process that would restore party members and millions of other Nigerians’ hope and confidence in the PDP as an alternative to the current dysfunctional, unresponsive and rudderless government of APC with its attendant suffering, miseries, political deceit, economic woes, insecurity and all-round disappointment foisted on millions of Nigerian families across the federation,”
The lawmakers’ position was made known in a statement jointly signed by the caucus leader, Hon Kingsley Chinda, and his deputy, Hon Chukwuka Onyeama.
Members of the caucus had met and deliberated extensively on various aspects of concern being expressed by members of the party across the federation. Specifically, on the current charge of inept leadership against our national chairman.
The statement reads, “Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and millions of Nigerians nationwide anticipate vigorous and well-coordinated issues-based national opposition; preparations towards a national convention as well as the 2023 general elections, much confusion, finger-pointing, and needless noise around the party’s national headquarters have obfuscated the noble objectives and lofty ideals of the PDP and democratic opposition politics in Nigeria.
“The lax and bedroom managerial attitude of the chairman who runs the party from his home and only surfaces in the party office for meetings, coupled with several promises without commensurate action has led to inept management of complaints, despondency amongst members and consequently an exodus of members of the party at all levels, including a member of the Board of Trustees of the party.
“Whilst these misfortunes befell the party and concerned party members are busy trying to stem the tide, the party chairman has carried on as if all is well and does not appear to see the cauldron awaiting the party if it continues on that trajectory,” the statement further read.
Efforts to get the position of the minority leader of the House, Hon Ndudi Elumelu and his deputy, Hon Toby Okechukwu were unsuccessful. While calls and messages to Elumelu’s phone were not answered, Okechukwu, when contacted, said he was not disposed to comment on the matter.
“ I am in a meeting now, can we talk later? ” he said.
As moves by some members of the National Assembly to remove the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) intensify, the caucus in the Senate has distanced itself from the plot.
According to the Senate caucus, the move is not endorsed by their leadership in the National Assembly, adding that it is coming from individuals and not a resolution of the entire members.
“The caucus has not made any statement on that issue and there is nothing of such now. We are united in the National Assembly and especially in the Senate. If there is something of such, we will deliberate on it and make our position clear. We are not part of such a move,” a member of the Senate caucus who doesn’t want his name mentioned said.
The call by Chinda’s camp comes ahead of the meeting of PDP governors today over the matter. The governors are later expected to meet within an expanded meeting of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) on Tuesday.
Recall that the BoT rising from an emergency meeting last week, declared the set up of a peace panel to address the issues.
It was however gathered that Secondus enjoys the backing of no less than 11 governors and some top northern leaders of the party.
It was gathered that they have insisted on the need for the current NWC to complete their tenure by December after which a national convention will be held.
‘His Continued Stay Will Spell Doom For Party In 2023’
Meanwhile, a group under the auspices of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) frontliners has said the continued stay of the national chairman, Uche Secondus, will spell doom for the party ahead of the 2023 general election.
The group also said that the overall interest of the PDP surpassed any individual’s agenda to perpetuate himself in office as Secondus appeared to be doing.
Addressing journalists in Kaduna, members of the PDP Frontliners should go to allow vibrant changes that would prepare the party for electoral victory in 2023.
The group of concerned PDP members led by the trio of Alhaji Hussein Mohammed (President), Moses Abidemi (Secretary) and Mr. Dan Okafor (Publicity Secretary) expressed amazement that Secondus chose to preside over a situation of growing anarchy that may hinder PDP’s reconciliation process and rob the party of great chances in 2023.
