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PDP crisis: Pressure mounts on Secondus to quit

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PDP CRISIS

 

Embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus’ woes worsened at the weekend with more calls for his resignation.

The latest came from PDP House of Representatives Caucus and a group simply known as PDP Frontliners.

The renewed calls for Secondus to quit are coming ahead of today’s crucial meeting of PDP’s elders, set up last week after the Board of Trustees (BoT) failed to end the crisis over Secondus.

The demand for Secondus resignation by the PDP House of Representatives members is one of the resolutions reached during their virtual meeting on Saturday.

In a communique by their Chairman, Kingsley Chinda, and Deputy Chairman, Chukwuka Onyema, the members urged the PDP chairman to make “personal sacrifice worthy of a leader by honourably resigning immediately to allow the party an early start.”

Secondus is accused of running the PDP “from his home” and only surfacing in the party office for meetings.

The lawmakers said they were “concerned that a further three months under Secondus leadership would do grave injustice to the party and put us in a precarious situation as every hour should matter now.”

They requested the BOT and the Governors Forum of the party to ensure immediate and firm resolution of current challenges so as to enable the re-engineering of the party.

The lawmakers noted that while stakeholders were trying to stem PDP misfortunes, Secondus did not appear to see the “cauldron” awaiting the nation’s main opposition party.

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They added that while the chairman could be said to have contributed notably to the party in the past, “cogent accusations currently being leveled against his leadership far transcended personal issues.”

The caucus members also observed that there was an established consistent and persistent pattern of inadequate consultations by Secondus.

They said his style of leadership has given rise to hitherto unspoken feelings of intra-party alienation in several quarters, including the National Working Committee (NWC), headed by him.

The statement reads partly: “Members of the PDP House of Representatives Caucus 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 (Prince Uche Secondus) and honourable members note as follows:

“Whereas members of the PDP and millions of Nigerians nationwide anticipate vigorous and well-coordinated issue-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 national chairman seems much more contented with occupying the office and therefore, preoccupied with holding onto his position rather than preparing for the next elections; this explains for 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 has resulted in the mass exit of party members at the National Assembly.

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“There is no clear road map, blueprint or policy programme for the PDP by the chairman. Thus, the party is allowed to flow with the tide, only showing up with weak press releases once in a while without commensurate sustainable action.

“We note too that 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 Trustee of the party.

“Such has manifested into or encouraged or fueled the exit of many prominent and highly-experienced party members with many more at the brink of leaving, if nothing is done fast.”

In a swift reaction, the PDP chairman said the two signatories to the communique – Chinda and Onyema are not the leaders of the Caucus in the Green Chamber.

Secondus’s Media Adviser, Ike Abonyi stated: “You know the story. They are not the leaders. Call Ndudi Elumelu (House Minority Leader) to confirm it. Two of them cannot be the Caucus.”

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Also, the PDP Frontliners said Secondus must go because the interest of the PDP “surpasses any individual’s agenda to perpetuate himself in office.”

The group’s President, Hussein Mohammed; Secretary, Moses Abidemi and Publicity Secretary, Dan Okafor stated this during a news conference in Kaduna.

They advised that Secondus should quit to “allow vibrant changes that would prepare the party for electoral victory in 2023.”

The trio added: “Instead of being allowed to sit pretty over an imagined fiefdom, Secondus, who ought to have gone a long time, must go now.

“He has never proven to have any capacity for being a political war general and his laissez-faire style of leadership during preparations for the 2023 general elections can only culminate into really atrocious results.

“He(Secondus) never attends to administrative work; never holds formal meetings with other organs of the party; doesn’t even know his deputies. zonal executive members and members of state executives are called only in emergency situations.

“Secondus ought to have gone. It is up to the PDP Board of Trustees, the PDP Governors’ Forum, and the PDP Caucuses in the National Assembly to do the needful; Secondus must please, go now.”

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Former deputy governor Agboola Ajayi wins Ondo PDP guber primary

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Agboola Ajayi, a former deputy governor of Ondo, has been declared the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial primary election in the state.

 

Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the deputy governor of Bayelsa, who chaired the electoral committee that supervised the poll, announced the results on Thursday in Akure, the state capital.

 

Ewhrudjakpo said Ajayi scored 264 votes to defeat other aspirants.

 

“By virtue of the results, Ajayi Alfred Agboola having scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner of this primary and hereby declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the November 2024 election and is hereby returned as the candidate,” he said.

Ajayi was the candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in the 2020 governorship election and also served as deputy governor of Ondo state from 2017 to 2021.

 

Kolade Akinjo, who came second in the election scored 157 votes while Olusola Ebiseni polled 99 votes to clinch the third position.

READ  Tension mounts in PDP as crisis worsens

 

On June 21, 2020, Ajayi, a lawyer and businessman, resigned his membership from the ruling party All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the PDP.

 

He cited irreconcilable differences between him and his principal, the late Rotimi Akeredolu, the former governor of Ondo.

 

He then joined ZLP after losing the PDP gubernatorial primary to Eyitayo Jegede and became the candidate of the party in 2020.

 

Ajayi had served as a councillor, chairman of Ese-Odo LGA, and house of representatives member before he was nominated by the late Akeredolu as his deputy in 2016.

 

 

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BREAKING: Emeka Ihedioha dumps PDP

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Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, ex-deputy speaker, House of Representatives, CON, has announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party, a party he says he has been associated with since its inception in 1998.

Ihedioha, who ascribed himself as one of the founding members of the PDP, cited the party’s inability to carry out internal reforms and provide credible opposition as the reasons behind his decision.

 

In a statement on Tuesday titled “Resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party,” Ihedioha reflected on his long-standing commitment to the party’s development and transformation.

 

He stated, “Since 1998, I have contributed my quota to the development and transformation of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as one of the founding members. All these years, I have taken pride in the fact that the PDP is a party that will always look inward for internal reforms and provide credible leadership for the people, whether in power or outside power.”

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However, Ihedioha expressed his disappointment with the party’s recent trajectory, which he believes deviates from his personal beliefs.

He said, “Regrettably, in recent times, the party has taken on a path that is at variance with my personal beliefs. Despite my attempt to offer counsel, the party is, sadly, no longer able to carry out internal reforms, enforce its own rules or offer credible opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress.”

 

Acknowledging the difficulty of his decision, Ihedioha emphasised the necessity of taking this step.

 

“It is in the light of the foregoing, that I am compelled to offer my resignation from the People’s Democratic Party effective immediately. While this decision was difficult to take, I, however, believe that it is the right one,” he stated.

 

Despite his resignation, Ihedioha affirmed his commitment to contributing to the nation’s democratic process and good governance.

 

“Despite this resignation, I will always be available to offer my services towards the deepening of democracy and good governance in Nigeria,” he declared.

READ  As PDP national chairman, Ayu failed to deliver Benue for PDP, says Wike

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Atiku, Wike attend PDP national caucus meeting

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The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, Mr Atiku Abubakar and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesome Wike, on Wednesday attended the PDP’s national caucus meeting in Abuja ahead of the party’s National Executive Committee meeting, scheduled to take place on Thursday.

 

This is the first time that the former Rivers state governor will be attending a meeting of the PDP since after the presidential election last year.

Mr Wike has been at loggerheads with the PDP leadership and did not support the party’s choice of Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for last year’s election.

 

Apart from his opposition to Mr Atiku’s campaign in the election, the decision of Mr Wike to accept a ministerial role in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress had worsened the rift between him and key stakeholders in the part.

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This caucus meeting is one of a series of meetings by members of the PD, ahead of the NEC meeting, where critical decisions regarding the leadership of the party and other issues that have threatened the party’s unity will be discussed.

 

Ahead of the caucus meeting, all the governors elected on the platform of the PDP were in a closed-door meeting at the Akwa Ibom governor’s lodge in Abuja.

 

Governor sighted at the meeting include Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta State), Douye Diri (Bayelsa State), Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers State), Bala Muhammed (Bauchi State), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom State), and Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State among others.

 

The caucus comprises the governors and leaders of the national assembly elected on the platform of the PDP, some members of the Board Of Trustees and some members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC).

 

Also on Wednesday, the embattled National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyorcha Ayu, withdrew his appeal, which sought to challenge his removal as the party’s national chairman. His move is also believed to be connected with the party’s upcoming National Executive Meeting.

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Ayu was suspended by the executive committee of the PDP in Igyorov ward in Gboko Local Government Area of Kogi State had in 2023 over alleged anti party activities.

 

They also claimed that Ayu was not paying his membership dues and did not vote in the March 18 governorship and the House of Assembly elections in Benue State.

 

Dissatisfied with the party’s decision, Senator Ayu approached the court to challenge his removal.

 

However, a Federal High Court in June last year affirmed the decision of the party to sack Senator Ayu, a judgement that led to an appeal, which he has now withdrawn.

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