Politics
PDP Crisis: Plot to remove Secondus shifts to NASS
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.
Credit: LEADERSHIP
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers State Chapter, Chief Tony Okocha, has defended the emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu in the state, citing escalating security threats.
According to Chief Okocha, Rivers State was on the brink of anarchy due to increasing security concerns in various parts of the state.
Okocha made this statement while addressing journalists at the APC headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
Justifying the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the declaration of a state of emergency, Okocha commended the President for his “timely” intervention and criticized those opposing the decision.
“The state of emergency called by Mr. President saved Rivers State from anarchy. When you see non-state actors brandishing guns and making statements that promote lawlessness, then you should know there is a problem.
“I see some people jumping onto television platforms to cast aspersions on Mr. President and condemn what they do not understand. Mr. President knows more than they do.
“The truth of the matter is that Rivers State was headed towards anarchy. We all know Rivers is one of the states that sustain this country. Some of the same people criticizing the President now would have also condemned him if he had done nothing.”
Chief Okocha also questioned the silence of former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) when the Rivers State House of Assembly complex was demolished under Governor Fubara’s administration.
“Thank God, President Goodluck Jonathan has been president, General Obasanjo has been president, and they know that every day on their table, they receive security reports.
“I hear the NBA saying the suspension is an affront to democracy. But when the assembly complex was burned and the next day, eleven pieces of equipment were deployed to demolish it, the NBA was silent. They were alive, yet we didn’t hear anything from them”, he said.
Reacting to criticism over why the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, was not sanctioned despite allegations that he contributed to the unrest, Okocha argued that Wike was not involved in the crisis.
He said, “For those asking why the Governor and members of the State House of Assembly were suspended but not the Minister of the FCT—was he in the frame? The answer is no”
Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the 2023 general election, Adewole Adebayo said, God has told him that the party will produce the next president in 2027 general election.
Speaking over the weekend in Abeokua when he met the members and executive who were led by the State Chairman, Yinka Ola-Williams, said he could confirm that a President of SDP will mount Aso Rock villa in 2027.
“One thing that God is telling me is that there will be an SDP president in the villa in 2027.
“For the first time in a long time, we will have people who care for the people. Let’s remain focused. The problems of Nigeria are our problems, not individuals.
“We are not against Tinubu as a person but we are against hunger, inflation, poverty, insecurity, unemployment. That’s what we are against,” he said.
Buttressing Adebayo’s position on modalities of joining the party, the SDP Chairman in Ogun State, Mr. Yinka Ola-Williams, disowned 30,000 membership cards and registers allegedly being flaunted by one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants in the 2023 governorship election in the State.
Ola-Williams said the party’s door is widely opened to anybody who wants to join, but such a person or group, no matter how highly placed, must follow the procedure as laid down in the party’s constitution.
He emphatically stated that the party had nothing to do with the membership cards and registers claimed by the aspirant, who said he got them from the party’s National Secretariat.
“We want people to join us, and we want to work together to provide a better government than what we have now that will remove poverty, provide a better healthcare system for people, improve education and all.
“But not that they come to the party, hijack the party and take the structure away. That’s what we will not agree,” Ola-Williams said.
Barrister Adewole Adebayo, the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general election, apprehensive of massive defection to the party urged defectors to go through legitimate route and due process.
Speaking over the weekend in Abeokuta, Adebayo when he met with SDP members and executive members led by the State Chairman, Yinka Ola-Williams, said the party is open to defectors, but they must do so legitimately.
Flanked by the former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, the former presidential candidate allayed fears that defectors may hijack the party, stressing that the National Working Committee of SDP can only issue membership cards through the executive at the state levels.
He said, “People are counterfeiting naira, they are counterfeiting the dollar, they’re bringing counterfeit rice, and NAFDAC is chasing counterfeit drugs. Why are you surprised that there are counterfeit party cards? Especially if the party cards are carried by counterfeit politicians who have a history of doing counterfeiting in their former parties. So, we should forgive everybody, but this counterfeiting will not work in SDP.”
“We are not fighting anybody we are only saying ‘come to our house through the front door not through the ceiling or the window.’ That’s all. Everybody here joined the party legitimately, anybody coming will join legitimately”.
“We have spoken to the National Chairman and the NWC, he said there’s no counterfeiting of anything. Any card that’s not given through the state, LG and executives is not from the SDP. So, if they come, you will tell them to go away. Put your name in our register here and pay us here. We will get the card for you. That’s how it is”.
“They want to run faster than their legs. Secondly, you are hearing rumors that people are coming to our party, Awolowo is coming, Azikiwe is coming, Balewa, Ahmadu Bello is coming. Let’s see them. Nigerians know us and they know them.”
He ruled out any plan that SDP would merge or collaborate with the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC or any political party ahead of 2027 general election.
According to him, SDP is committed to the well-being and welfare of Nigerians, while he ruled out insinuations that the party is an appendage of APC.
“Maybe APC has appendicitis; they should go to the hospital to kill it. We are a strong party. We are older than any of the parties available. Our mission is clear: we are not in government with them.
“I led the party in the last election. I’m still standing here. I’m not a minister under Tinubu; all the state chairman and the national chairman are intact, including the national secretary. So, we are standing on our own.
“The reason people look down on us is because we don’t attack people, but we tackle issues because our party is a party of intellect. We are the only party that’s a little to the left. Having been a little to the left since we came in 1989, we remain so.
“The problems of Nigeria can only be found with solutions on the left, which is that chapter two of the Constitution, invest money in education, in housing, in healthcare, good infrastructure, let Nigerians live what chief Obafemi Awolowo called a life more abundant,” he said.
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