The National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday, counselled party organs to resist the temptation to do away with the current leadership of the party, noting that doing so portends ills for the party.
Secondus has had a week to forget, following persistent calls for his removal from several quarters, including some members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Addressing members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party at the Wadata Plaza national secretariat of the PDP, yesterday, Secondus acknowledged that those picking holes with his management style were entitled to do so but pleaded that misunderstandings should be resolved internally.
While reminding leaders of the party that his leadership has less than four months to go, the PDP boss called on all organs of the party to come together in the interest of the party.
He said, “Anything contrary to the smooth running of our party towards the remaining three months will not be good enough for our party. Any dislocation will cost an infraction that will result to several unknown issues that we may not be able to come out of.”
According to him, the past three years and eight months he has been in the saddle have been very peaceful, adding that the issues now rocking the party are not new.
In a veiled dig at his detractors, Secondus pointed out that forms for the various leadership positions will soon be on sale, saying, “After the main state congresses, both the public and our party are looking forward to a smooth and peaceful convention, which is coming up in December. We believe the preparation is being done in the office of the National Organizing Secretary. Soon, the schedule of events, the timetable and other things shall be presented before the Caucus, BoT, NEC and all organs of our party for action leading to the convention.”
He lauded incumbent NWC, saying for the first time, leadership was provided without rancour until recently, even as he informed the party leaders that the seven national officers who earlier in the week tendered their resignations, have been attended to.
The PDP boss further called on leaders of the party to forge a united and formidable force to dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election cycle.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin, has called on the leaders of the party to be guided by the crises, which led to the ouster of past chairmen, with a view to drawing sufficient lessons.
In his submission at the meeting, Walid bemoaned the current crisis, regretting that while Nigerians were earnestly looking up to the PDP to rescue the nation from the stranglehold of the ruling APC, the party itself was engulfed in needless squabbles.
He called on members to unite ahead of the 2023 elections, saying, “in order to achieve complete success, we must do away with any personal interest and unnecessary in-house fighting aiming at killing the objectives set by the party.”
This is even as he urged the party to take a firm stand on discipline.
“Please, let us examine why many past national chairmen did not complete their tenure successfully- Chief Audu Ogbeh, Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Alhaji Ahmed Mua’zu, Alhaji Modu Sheriff, and now the deputy national chairman, threatening to resign,” he added, assuring that the party will come out of the current crisis stronger.
Others who attended the meeting include, immediate past Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, former Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Tanimu Turaki, ex-Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, amongst others.
However, the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, yesterday, assured Nigerians that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) would deploy its internal conflict resolution mechanism to resolve whatever disagreements there was at the national leadership level of the party.
He assured that the issue would be surmounted in no time, saying that the PDP remains the only hope for Nigerians.
The governor spoke when he received in audience a former All Progressives Congress (APC), senatorial candidate in the state, Chief Mimi Adzape-Orubibi and the chairman of the party in her area as well as the party’s executives who will formally decamp to the PDP on Saturday.
The governor said, “I want to assure Nigerians that despite the leadership challenge we have we are till together and we will resolve it soon. We may recall that even the tongue and the teeth sometimes fight but they settle.
“And so PDP is going to deploy its internal conflict resolution mechanism and we shall rise up from there because Nigerians are fed up. They are tired of being taken from the top to the button since 2015. Have you not heard what Mr President said that he was going to take Nigeria from top to bottom and he has actually done that.
“How much was the Dollar in 2015 when President Buhari took over from Goodluck Jonathan? N180. Today we are battling with over N500. Can you imagine! On security, we were battling with only Boko Haram then, but today, we have Fulani bandits, we Fulani herdsmen, we have Fulani mercenaries, we have Fulani kidnappers, we have Fulani armed robbers, we have Fulani thieves, we have Fulani AK-47. And then they will deceive us that they are tackling them.
“So, we want a leadership that will take us from bottom to top.
“I commend my sister for taking a bold step like I did in 2017. Though as a member of the ruling party, when I saw the injustice being perpetrated on our people and the inequality and the unfairness, I decided to jump ship and joined the PDP where I contested and won.
“And since I left the APC I have not regretted. APC is a party of injustice; it is a party that does not believe in the rule of law. It is a party that does not believe in democracy, equity, fairness and justice. It is a party that believes that no other Nigerian, except the Fulanis should be equal.
“We can see what they are doing already, it is a party that wants to make everybody slave but for some of us, we say no, we cannot be slaves to others.
“We believe in democracy, we believe in one Nigeria. And we believe that everyone should have freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of association. Let there be equity, fairness and justice. That is what we stand for, yesterday, today and forever. We stand for equity, fairness and justice in this country for all Nigerians.
“We oppose those who think that they can impose their culture on us. Nigeria is a country of over 250 nationalities, we respect every nationality, whether you are Fulani, you are Tiv, Yoruba, Idoma, Igala, Hausa or you are Igbo or South-South, we respect you.
“For us in Benue, that’s what we respect. We oppose any culture that wants to dominate us and take over our land and give it to their people. We say no to that, we will always stand to defend our people.
“In Benue State we are committed to this and I am working closely with the people that elected me as governor of Benue State. And I stand in solidarity with them and I stand with utmost commitment to my people because democracy is about the locality.
“All politics is local. So, we remain grateful and committed to our locality, our locality first before outside. And so, we are going to resist any attempt to impose a different culture on us and we are not going to impose our culture on other people.
“So, I commend Mimi and all of you who are here to pay solidarity with her and to assure you that I will visit your local government on Saturday to witness the formal decamping of our illustrious daughter.”
Similarly, the former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, assured Nigerians that all efforts would be put in place to strengthen PDP NWC within 72hours.
The PDP national leader, explained that PDP was very important to Nigerians; hence the need to resolve internal crisis.
Saraki’s assurance was after the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), had met over the crisis in the party.
During the meeting, it was agreed that the members of the constituted committee are to meet within the next 48 to 72hours to decide PDP’s direction.
But Saraki, in a series of tweets wrote, “Earlier today, the PDP Board of Trustees resolved to set up a committee that will look into the issues that are affecting the party.
“This committee, which includes governors, members of the BoT, members of the national assembly, members of the National Working Committee (NWC), former governors, and former ministers of the party, is expected to meet within the next 48 to 72hours to determine the direction of the party.
“Nigerians should be rest assured that as a party, we fully understand the importance of our platform to Nigerians. This is why we will continue to do everything that we can to strengthen our party in the best interest of all Nigerians.”