… Party’s constitution must be followed – Secondus
By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
Following the leadership crises threatening the cohesion of the largest opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the party’s Board of Trustee (BoT) on Thursday resolved to set up a committee to ensure that all grevieances within the party are addressed.
Arising from about 4 hours meeting at the PDP National Headquarters in Abuja, presided over by the BoT Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, the meeting resolved that a committee be constituted in the next 48 – 72 hours to resolve all the controversies and reposition it to the winning ways ahead of 2023 general election.
Addressing newsmen after the meeting, former Senate President, Senator David Mark who refrained from commenting on the status of the national chairman who was being asked to resigned, said that contrary to speculations, Gov. Wike was in attendance in his capacity as a BoT member.
He said, “We resolved at the meeting to set up a committee that will look at the situation. The committee is made up of the governors, members of the BoT, members of the National Assembly, all the members of the National Working Committee, former governors, former ministers, so that they can wholistically resolve the problems”.
When asked if the resolution will stop the constant defection and resignation of members.
“It will not only stop the current crises, it will lead into providing a better environment to make us far more united and make us stronger as a party”.
He said that the committee will take a position on the seven national officers that had announced their resignation last Tuesday.
Also in his remarks, former President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki expressed optimism that the committee will go a long way to give the party and the country a new direction.
“We all came together to addresses some issues and because of the urgency of the matter, we agreed to set up this committee urgently and within the next 48 to 72 hours, they will meet and at the end of that meeting, the country will see where the direction the party is going.
“The presence of all of us here is because this meeting of today was important in addressing some of those issues.
“My own message to Nigerians is that we know the importance of this party to this nation in addressing the challenges ahead of us. So let us come together as a party and salvage this country.
Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for calm among waring factions and advised that the reconciliation process should be given a chance.
Atiku while reacting to the current frictions in the PDP in a statement, said that the party cannot afford to be divided at this critical point in time when Nigerians are desperately yearning for change in the face of their miserable living conditions.
According to Atiku, an opposition that is looked up to as an alternative cannot afford to be fighting itself and lend its hands to the ruling party for its own destruction.
He urged the party’s faithful to understand that the price of having a fragmented PDP is too high to pay, but above all, a betrayal to the memories of the founding fathers of the party.
The former Vice President dismissed insinuations that he was fueling the crisis in the party.
He explained that he was lately involved in reconciliation efforts within the party across the country and has backed reconciliation processes aimed at diffusing tensions in the party. He called for calm and for combatants to sheath their swords and give the reconciliation mechanisms of the party a chance.
He noted that the interest of the PDP far supercedes that of any individual, insisting that the party will overcome its current travails for as long as all hands are on deck. “The PDP is greater than our individual ambitions. We have to consolidate the party first before we talk about our ambitions. We have to be careful not to play into the hands of the ruling party. We can’t afford a one-party system in Nigeria that denies our people a viable alternative for true change in 2023”, the former Vice President said.
The former PDP presidential candidate warned that lack of unity and internal cohesion could help the ruling party more than the PDP, and that “those who want Nigerians to continue with the current hardship in the land will be eager to fuel the crisis in the PDP for their political advantage.”
He added that PDP leaders should put personal differences aside and work for the good of the party, adding that “divided soldiers cannot fight a war and win.”
Earlier in his opening remarks the BoT Chairman advised that all contending issues will be resolved according to the provisions of the party’s constitutions to avoid more crises.
He said, “In order to operate effectively as the conscious of the party, this meeting today should deliberate fully on the need to put our collective interest as true PDP members ahead of any personal interest against Unity and Stability of the Party. Making sure that new leaders emerge only through free and fair election at National Convention.
“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 noting that PDP ruled for 16 years as against total failure of the current Government of APC which is characterised by incompetence and total insecurity. Therefore, we must look critically at the party approved organs advising all to wakeup from slumber by functioning very well in order to fulfil the dreams of our fore fathers”.
Also in his remarks, National Chairman of the Party, Prince Uche Secondus who did not claim perfection, asked members of the BoT to resolve all issues with reference to the provisions of the party’s constitution.
“My opinion is that anything contrary to the smooth running of our party, towards this 3 months that is remaining will not be good enough for our party.
“Sacrifices have been made from the beginning when we came in and by the grace of God not without an error. Because anyone that have no error is perfect”.
Recall that the Nation Youth leader of the party had threatened to resign from office after the resignation of seven national party officers unless Secondus vacates his position.
In attendance at the meeting were National Secretary, Senator Umar Ibrahim Tsauri and Deputy National Chairman North, Senator Suleiman Nazif
Others were former President of the Senate, Adolphus Ndaneweh Wabara, former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi, former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, Chief Tom Ikimi, former Katisna State Governor, Ibrahim Shema, former Cross Rivers State Governor, Liyel Imoke, Chief Olisa Metuh, former Osun State Governor, Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola and others
