PDP Govs To Decide Secondus’ Fate On Monday, As NWC Members Dump National Chairman

By Tonia Okereke

National Chairman of the main opposition, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Uche Secodus may be on his way out of office.

A source at the party’s Wadata Plaza Secretariat told Frontline News Online, that eight members of the National Working Committee have passed a Vote-Of-No confidence on Secondus. The demining verdict comes just as there is talk that the party’s governors will meet in Bauchi State on Monday, with issues such as its presidential candidate and the fate of the National Chairman topping discussions.

Seondus has been accused of mismanaging funds of the party and not providing quality leadership. Some adherents of the PDP have also blamed him for the party losing three governors and members of the National Assembly to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).  

This platform equally learnt that with the PDP throwing its presidential ticket open to all six-geopolitical zones, the party is looking the way of the South West to take the position of the National Chairman, while other zones slug it out for the party’s presidential and vice-presidential slots.

One of the major critics of the National Chairman and former spokesman of the PDP presidential campaign, Prince Kassim Afegbua, had described Secondus as a poor performer in an interview with Frontline News Online.  Afegbua a former commissioner for Information in Edo State also petitioned the ant—graft agencies to investigate Secondus.

  “As national chairman he hasn’t given the party bite. PDP is a party with structures in all of the LGAs and states of the federation. The party has very strong presence nationally, but we have a national chairman that lacks capacity to contend with topical issues, position the party to earn more respect, position the party to gain the support of the electorate-he hardly talks.

“He hardly visits radio or television stations to speak on topical issues or express his opinion on the aspirations of the people. I don’t see him taking action to place the party on stronger pedestal to contest for power. I am of the position that instead of tolerating the national chairman’s obvious incompetence, it is better for the party to overhaul and retool itself by easing out the national chairman and all other non-performing persons”, Afegbua told Frontline News Online in May.

“Have you forgotten that the National Auditor of the party wrote a memo which he (Secondus) tried to paper down and sweep under the rug? In that memo the national auditor made accusations of financial impropriety. The office of the national auditor was practically sidelined and so he raised these issues. We cannot continue to sweep issues under the carpet, when we as opposition should hold government accountable. As opposition, we shouldn’t be guilty of the issues we challenge government on.  I am helpless as a member of the party; this is why I have approached the EFCC and ICPC to scrutinize the finances of my party”, he added.