..seven other national leaders resign
… I will replace them,Secondus declares
… critical stakeholders meet to stem the tide
…angered party members dragging us back Seconds insists
Emman Ovuakporie
Finally, the Uche Secondus-led National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nose dived on Tuesday as ten members of National Working Committee passed a vote of no confidence on him.
TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports the NWC structure is 19 members.
National Youth leader of the party, Sunday Udeh Okoye, disclosed to journalists at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja that himself and nine other NWC members have lost confidence in Secondus’ leadership.
Embattled Secondus however dismissed the claims of those working against him as untrue.
He threatened to replace whoever resigns immediately.
He claims he still has majority behind his leadership.
The NWC members said to be moving against Secondus are the Deputy National Vice Chairman (North), Senator National Suleiman.
Sources close to the party leadership said that even the National Secretary of the party, Senator Ibrahim Tsauri, is also among those aggrieved.
Meanwhile, meeting of stakeholders in the party was being convened Tuesday night to exchange views and take far reaching decisions, TNG gathered.
At his own press conference, Okoye said:
“Mr. Uche Secondus, the national chairman of the party is incompetent of managing the affairs of this party, he lacks managerial capacity to manage PDP.
He had made sure that many departments of the party did not function as effectively as it ought to function. Mr. Chairman has nothing to offer to the party only to come here and decieve us.”
“There is a sharp division in our NWC right now, not only me, many more NWC members are more aggrieved than myself.
Today(Tuesday),I have asked him in our NWC meeting to resign his position as the chairman of this party because he cannot lead this party to victory.”
He also called on governors elected on the platform of the party .
“I am also asking the leaders, the governors, the founding fathers, the youth, the women to rise up to rescue our party from the hand of incompetent leader like Secondus because he is not willing to take us to anywhere. He is just there to make sure that he enriches himself.”
“I am here to make it very clear to all Nigerians that if Secondus does not resign from the party, I am going to leave the party for him to eat the party and own the party. The governors, if they don’t wade into this matter right now, I assure Nigerians that within the next three, four days, my letter will be public.” Okoye added.
Confirming that more NWC members have lost confidence in Secondus, Okoye said:
“Tday because of Secondus, many more people are also going to resign in the NWC because of Secondus. Right now I can tell you that not less than eight to ten persons within the NWC members are very aggrieved with Secondus but I have taken my stand because I cannot sit here and one man who ought to respect his age and respect the oath of the party that he has sworn to protect, to defend, to work for the interest of the party will keep making sure that the party does not go anywhere.”
Okoye also confirmed that measures are being put in place to ensure that Secondus is removed before the party is destroyed.
Meanwhile, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP said yesterday that the conflict resolution mechanism of the party has been activated to look at the crisis in the party.
“The National Working Committee of our great party at it meeting today recieved the notice of the resignation from deputies who are elected members of the National Executive Committee.
The meeting of the National Working Committee and the deputies immediately took place to dialogue on the issues that were raised. The party will look into the grievances raised by members of NEC as well as members of the National Working Committee.
The internal conflict resolution mechanism of our party has also been immediately activated to put these issues behind us. We call on all the leaders, stakeholder and members of our great party to remain calm as we collectively resolve these issues.”
He confirmed at another press conference that the National Secretariat of the party has received letters of resignation of the seven leaders .
The seven are Diran Odeyemi, deputy national publicity secretary; Ahmed Bello, deputy national legal adviser; Umoru Hadizat, deputy national women leader; Divine Amina Arong, deputy national auditor; Hassan Yakubu, deputy national organizing secretary; and Irona Alphonsus, deputy national financial secretary .
They resigned their positions, citing the “bad treatment” exhibited by the PDP national chairman since the election that brought the current leadership of the party to power in 2017.
In a separate press briefing , Secondus represented by his media adviser, Ike Abonyi, told journalists that Okoye and the aggrieved PDP leaders were being sponsored by those he described as power drunk politicians desperate to have their way at all costs.
Abonyi reacting to the allegations of the Youth Leader on incompetence and self enrichment against National Chairman, said:
“Regarding the press conference of the Youth leader who is realising after three and half years that Secondus is incompetent, that Secondus is enriching himself, it took him three and a half years and four, five months to the convention. It is very unfortunate because he has operated as the youth leader of this party since December 2017 with Secondus as National Chairman and has worked with him but suddenly, few months to convention, after the game of this morning, in some part of Abuja, he suddenly discovered that Secondus is incompetent, he suddenly discovered that Secondus is enriching himself?
“I want to assure members of the party that the structure of the party is intact and Prince Secondus is the National Chairman and anybody who resigns will be replaced the next day and this party will work to victory in 2023 there is no going back about it.
All those who are looking for interim government few months to general election are taking us back to Egypt and no body is ready to go back to Egypt.