By James Orji
The days of Prince Uche Secondus, the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in office appear numbered following demand by the party’s House of Representatives Caucus for him to resign.
All efforts to salvage the crisis rocking the major opposition party, following a gale of defection of its prominent members, seems to have hit the rocks. The lawmakers now think that the solution to the party’s problem is for Secondus to throw in the towel.
No fewer than three state governors elected on the party’s platform have joined the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in the last one year, aside seven national officers that resigned last week, after the blamed the Chairman’s leadership style for the problems rocking the party.
To prevent a massive exodus of prominent members of the party from leaving, the lawmakers said on Sunday that Secondus exit is inevitable. He must leave immediately, they said in a statement, though Secondus tenure is expected to end by December this year.
According to a statement issued on Sunday and jointly signed by Kingsley Chinda and Chukwuka Onyema, PDP caucus leader and deputy leader respectively, the lawmakers said the decision to oust the embattled chairman was reached on Saturday.
The lawmakers said the refusal on the part of Secondus to resign will frustrate the party’s plan to capture power in 2023.
According to them “To many, the national chairman seems much more contented with occupying the office and therefore preoccupied with holding onto his position rather than preparing for next elections; this explains for his inexplicably missing endless opportunities that ought to have been utilized for consolidating a viable opposition; skewing party congresses to favour personal future ambition and frustrating genuine party members across states which have resulted in mass exit of party members at the national assembly,” the statement reads.
“There is no clear road map, blue print 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.
“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.
“Whilst these misfortunes befell the party and concerned party members are busy trying to stem the tide, the party chairman has carried on as if all is well and does not appear to see the caldron awaiting the party if it continues on that trajectory.
“While the PDP National Chairman, Chief Uche Secondus contributed notably to the party in the past, cogent accusations currently being levelled against his leadership far transcend personal issues as there is an established consistent and persistent pattern of inadequate consultations, even with members of the PDP House Caucus, thereby giving rise to hitherto unspoken feelings of intra-party alienation in several quarters including in his NWC.
“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”.
The lawmakers asked Secondus “to consider making the necessary personal sacrifice worthy of a leader in the party’s current and future interest with a firm assurance of honourable regard and appreciation by the party leadership now and in years to come, by honourably resigning his position as party chairman immediately, to allow the party an early start”.
The party’s Board of Trustees, BOT had last week set up a committee, including some state governors to find solutions to the problems rocking the party. It doesn’t seem the committee has been able to reconcile aggrieved members following the renewed pressure being piled by top members of the party, for Second to step aside.
