After a long battle that threw the party into some momentary turmoil, governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some major stakeholders rescued its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus from sack as demanded by some interests within the party.
And to further save the party from looming crisis that may affect its chances in 2023, the PDP Governors Forum, Board of Trustees (BoT) and other organs of the party brought the National Convention forward to October ending.
The party has been in crisis following the resignation of some national officers and the stringent call by some stakeholders for the resignation of the national chairman over what they described as poor leadership.
The current National Working Committee (NWC) headed by Secondus were elected in December 2017 for a 4-year tenure.
How Secondus was saved
A top party source at the meeting told Blueprint in confidence that party leaders who attended the meeting agreed that if the party’s National Convention holds October 2021 as stipulated in the resolution, the current NWC under the leadership of Secondus would remain till 9th December, 2021 to complete their tenure.
The source further disclosed that the party’s National Chairman, Prince Secondus, disagreed with the proposed date (October 2021) for the convention, on the ground that “it will be difficult to hold a national convention in October, because of the ward, state congresses and other constitutional requirements that needed to be fulfilled before the national convention.”
At the end, the meeting, it was gathered, ignored Secondus’ position and opted for October ending.
Our resolves – Tambuwal
Chairman PDP Governors Forum and Sokoto state Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal addressed journalists at the end of the joint stakeholders’ meeting that lasted two and half hours Tuesday at Wadata Plaza, the party headquarters in Abuja.
He said: “The meeting deliberated extensively on the issues thrown up and resolved that the Constitution, traditions and practices of the party should be strictly adhered to in finding solutions to any problem.”
Flanked by BoT members, the governors elected on the party’s platform and former presiding officers of the National Assembly among others, Tambuwal said: “There were extensive consultations with all major stakeholders in the Party, including the Governors, members of the Board of Trustees, former Presiding Officers and current Principal Officers and Leaders from the National Assembly, former Governors, former Ministers, and indeed other leaders of the Party with a view to bringing all tendencies within the Party together in view of the urgent task facing the Party as the only viable vehicle to checkmate the abysmally poor governance of the APC-led Federal Government.”
He said “this meeting has agreed that immediately the NEC should be convened for the party to constitute the National Convention Planning Committee and the National Convention should be held latest by the end of October.
“The meeting requested the NEC to immediately constitute a Zoning Committee for Party Offices and another Committee for National Elective Offices.”
“The NEC of the party shall meet most likely next week and all the issues will be addressed. And that NEC would be convened by the Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus who is constitutionally empowered to do so,” he said.
…Blasts APC
Earlier in his remarks before going into meeting proper, Tambuwal said, “we are committed to remaining in PDP. Disregard any rumour, every rumour that any of these distinguished leaders are going anywhere. We are in PDP, we are going to remain in PDP and by the grace of God, we shall be working together to salvage Nigeria.
“If you say you’re going somewhere where? APC is no party. They do not have a ward structure as we speak. They do not have a local government structure as we speak. They do not have state structures as we speak. They do not have a national structure as we speak. APC has never had, and is not having a Board of Trustees.
“So, where are you going? Are you defecting to the federal government? The federal government is not there because if it is there, ask my colleagues who are in APC; one of them came out to say that when his students were abducted that he saw no help. He received no help from the federal government, and he is a governor of APC. So what are we talking about?
“There is no party to defect to; there is no government to defect to. We better remain together and work together, reinvent our party, and work towards the establishment of government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
BoT chair, Secondus call for unity
In his remarks, Chairman PDP BoT Senator Walid Jibrin urged major stakeholders and members of the party to shun personal interest and give way for permanent peace in the party.
He said: “It is only when there is peace in our party we can talk about winning the election. APC has failed Nigerians and most citizens are waiting for the PDP.”
Also speaking, the party’s national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus called for peace and unity within the PDP.
“This party will continue to remain in peace and unity. We urge every Nigerian to register as members of the party in ongoing electronic registration. This is important because PDP is the only party that can rescue this country from the hands of APC.”
Attendees
In attendance were all the 13 PDP governors, Zamfara state Deputy Governor Mahdi Aliyu Gusau, former presiding officers of the National Assembly including immediate past President of the Senate Abubakar Bukola Saraki, his predecessors – David Mark and Adolphus Ndaneweh Wabara, who is BoT secretary.
Others include PDP National Secretary Senator Umar Ibrahim Tsauri and Deputy National Chairman North Senator Suleiman Nazif among others.
