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Live from Transcrop Hilton Hotel, Abuja, Venue of the PDP Retreat for newly Elected National Officers, their deputies and the State Chairmen. The two days retreat will set the pace for PDP’s victory in 2019

The Peoples Democratic Party, on Tuesday, alleged that the Federal Government was building more prisons.

It also said that the government was planning to descend on PDP members in 2018.



The National Chairman of the party, Mr. Uche Secondus, stated these in Abuja at the opening of a two-day retreat for members of the newly elected National Working Committee of the party.

Secondus warned that those building the prisons might be the occupiers, adding that it was wrong for the Federal Government to be persecuting members of the PDP because of their refusal to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

He said, “We learnt that they are building more prisons. Let them go ahead and build more. They will be the one to stay there.

“We learnt that they are coming after our members in January. Let them continue. How many people will they put in jail?

“They should stop intimidating people. They should remember that almost everybody they had put in jail wrongly came back to become President.

“This is because they were jailed unjustifiably. So, if they are persecuting us, let them continue. But we will not withdraw the ultimatum we gave them to quit Aso Rock in 2019.”

Secondus stated that it was wrong to assume that the PDP was not ready to fight corruption, stressing that the regime of former President Olusegun Obasanjo established institutions that he said “are currently waging a war against graft in the country.”

The PDP chairman added that the former President did not spare members of the PDP then, unlike now when he alleged that the ruling party “protects its members.”



“We stabilised the structure to fight corruption. Obasanjo, a PDP President, started the fight against corruption. He fought our members. But unlike now, no matter how corrupt you are, if you don’t want to be arrested, just defect to the APC,” he added.

Speaking when he received members of the Board of Trustees of the party earlier, Secondus called on the Federal Government to stop intimidating members of the party.

He said, “APC should stop intimidating our leaders. We will no longer take it; enough is enough. They don’t need to attack us; they should fulfil what they promised us.

“Enough of this; we are not in a military era. What I am telling them is that God is not sleeping. When the time comes, the people will speak through their votes.

“We handed over freely in 2015 and they should be prepared to hand over to us. No amount of intimidation will distract Nigerians.”

Secondus condemned the alleged harassment of the former President of the Senate, David Mark, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

“There is nowhere in the world where a former Senate President has been harassed like this before,” he added.

While receiving former chairmen of the party, led by Ahmadu Ali, Secondus restated that he and members of the NWC would not be intimidated, adding that they would have zero tolerance for corruption and imposition of candidates.

The Chairman of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin, explained that at no time did members of the BoT support Senator Ali Modu Sheriff while the latter was leading the party.

Jibrin called on members of the party to unite and support the Governor Seriake Dickson-led reconciliation committee.

The BoT, however, recommended that the new NWC should visit all chairmanship aspirants that lost the bid to emerge as the chairman of the party and their key supporters.

It equally recommended that the new NWC should “deal with the various petitions; organise a retreat for all party organs; revisit the issue of the new party secretariat; revisit the biometric registration of members and avoid anything that will lead to unnecessary court cases.”

Party reaching out to Adedoja

–Dickson

Meanwhile, Dickson, who is the governor of Bayelsa State, said his committee would meet with an aggrieved national chairmanship aspirant of the party, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja.

Adedoja has sued the party over the outcome of the December 9 national convention, which was won by Secondus.

The former minister of sports argued that his name was omitted in the ballot papers, saying what appeared on the ballot paper was ‘Taoheed Oladoja’.

Dickson said he had called the former minister and that they would meet soon.

“I have assured Prof Adedoja that the peace panel would like to meet with him. I spoke with him this morning because I heard that he was planning to take us to court. We hold him in high esteem. Politics is about resolving conflict in society,” he said at the retreat.





http://punchng.com/fg-building-new-prisons-plans-to-arrest-us-in-2018-pdp/

The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ), Mr Uche Secondus, has called on all newly-elected leaders of the party to brace up for the challenges ahead, saying they were huge.

Secondus made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening of a two-day retreat for the National Working Committee (NWC) and Chairmen of the PDP in the states.

He said that the time for individualistic ideology was over, and that in moving forward, all must collectively channel their energy and resources toward achieving the party’s immediate goal, which was regaining power in 2019.

The chairman said that the ability of PDP to win in 2019 had implications not just on the party, but on the country.



“It is based on this reason that we are starting on a fresh note. We must be ready to compromise on personal agenda where necessary as well as make sacrifices for the greater good of the party.

“As a party in opposition, we must be ready to forgo certain deserving privileges for the good of the party.

“The point where we are at the moment is at the crossroad where we are about to take the critical decision of which direction to go – right or left.

“Our choice should be swift, clear and unambiguous; we are going right and it leads us straight to Aso Rock,’’ he said.

Secondus said that leaders must begin to invest in the party with the aim of repackaging and eventually unveiling a reformed PDP to the Nigerian electorate so as to regain their confidence.

“We must re-define who we are in the minds of Nigerians, down to the grassroots.



“We must let the people know that we are ready to re-ignite the fire that once made Nigeria a shining beacon in Africa and the world over by returning this party to the real owners, the people,’’ he said.

He added that the actions were necessary for PDP to reclaim the territory it lost across the three tiers of government in 2015.

Secondus said that the mandate given to new leaders of the party was to rebuild and re-position the party with a view to regaining the lost power.

“The only way to achieve what we have set out to do is by bringing all our stakeholders to work together as one larger family,’’ he said.

The national chairman pledged that the NWC members would continue to promote the principles of democratic practice, progressive politics, good and effective leadership, and national interest within PDP.

He added that they would also re-strategise PDP communication channels, especially social media.

“No matter what a political party does, if it does not have effective communication, it can’t achieve much.

“PDP needs more strategic engagement to lose and unbundle any negative impression already created by the opposition,’’ Secondus said.

The Chairman of Board of Trustees (BoT), Sen. Walid Jibrin, charged the party leaders to use the retreat to discuss the philosophy and principles of the party.

“This is in fact necessary at all levels of the party as well as building a strong party identity,’’ Jibrin said.

The theme of the retreat is “Re-positioning PDP for Dominance and Electoral Victory.’’




http://thenationonlineng.net/secondus-charges-pdp-leaders-brace-challenges/

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Live from Transcrop Hilton Hotel, Abuja, Venue of the PDP Retreat for newly Elected National Officers, their deputies and the State Chairmen. The two days retreat will set the pace for PDP’s victory in 2019

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PHOTOS:MEETING WITH BOT MEMBERS 18TH DECEMBER 2017

The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus heartily congratulate His Excellency, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, the newly elected President of the African National Congress, ANC.

Your Excellency Sir, your victory can be attributed to your years of activism, servitude and steadfastness within the ANC and the development of South Africa.

I have no doubt in my mind that the experience you have gathered over the years within the ANC and in government will be judiciously deployed in achieving the new mandate given you by members of the ANC.

May this victory bring a new dawn to South Africa and prosperity to her people.

The attention of the Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has been drawn to a fraudulent Facebook Account named IKE UCHE SECONDUS that has been impersonating the PDP National Chairman and deceiving unsuspecting members of the public claiming to be the official page of the National Chairman.


Members of the public should be informed that the PDP National Chairman is unconnected to the Facebook Account in question, and are advised to disregard the fraudulent Facebook Account.


The legitimate and official Facebook page of the PDP National Chairman is PRINCE UCHE SECONDUS.


The general public is hereby advised to disregard the fraudulent IKE UCHE SECONDUS Account.


Meanwhile, we have drawn the attention of law enforcement agencies to this.




Signed
IKe Abonyi
For Secondus Media office

The attention of the Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has been drawn to a fraudulent Facebook Account named IKE UCHE SECONDUS that has been impersonating the PDP National Chairman and deceiving unsuspecting members of  the public claiming to be the official page of the National Chairman.


Members of the public should be informed that the PDP National Chairman is unconnected to the Facebook Account in question, and are advised to disregard the fraudulent Facebook Account.


The legitimate and official Facebook page of the PDP National Chairman is PRINCE UCHE SECONDUS.


The general public is hereby advised to disregard the fraudulent IKE UCHE SECONDUS Account.


Meanwhile, we have drawn the attention of law enforcement agencies to this.




Signed
IKe Abonyi
For Secondus Media office

Long Live PDP

Long Live Nigeria

Long Live PDP

Long Live Nigeria

DBHFGGHM

The newly elected National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus, speaks with OLUSOLA FABIYI on the party’s plan to regain power in 2019 and how he will lead the party for the next four years

How would you describe your victory at the national convention?

I believe that the victory is for all the members of the party, including all those that contested. My conviction is that there is no victor and there is no vanquished. It was a family affair.



Were you thinking of winning when you started the race?

That should be uppermost in anybody’s mind, especially those of us who were aspirants. Nobody goes into any contest with the hope of losing. First, I planned to win but I also had it in my mind that if I lost, I would support anyone that won. It was never do or die. I said it clearly. I have always been a team player. We all know that just like a match, a winner must emerge.

Some people are aggrieved as a result of the outcome of the convention. What mechanism do you have on the ground to pacify them and bring them on board?

The caretaker committee probably knew that there would be fallout and that was why it inaugurated a committee headed by the Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, to handle it. There are notable and respected men and women in the committee like Aminu Wali, Adamu Waziri, and others. Immediately after the convention, the committee started work, and it has been talking to all, especially the contestants who are not happy. I was briefed about the work of the committee on Tuesday. Apart from that, I have also taken a private step to visit other aspirants. I believe that they are loyal party members. They won’t move anywhere. They will stay with us. The main objective is to bring everybody into the fold and even win more membership. We will do that and we won’t rest until we achieve that goal.

Will that include those who have left the party?

Yes, that’s the responsibility of the committee. Our members must be brought back into the fold. Then we can fix Nigeria together. At this time, you know that the country is not working. We don’t want Nigeria to be disintegrated. The Peoples Democratic Party remains the only party that can unite Nigerians.

Is there any guarantee that those who left the party like the former governors are ready to return?

We have faith that they would return.



There are pictures that you took with the Senate President (Dr. Bukola Saraki), and some senators, which are currently trending now. Were they taken after you emerged as the national chairman?

No, they were taken before the convention. We met at an event, which was held at Transcorp Hilton. Maybe some of your colleagues (journalists) were there and they took the pictures. It was just a coincidence that we met. We aren’t enemies anyway.

Would you approach Saraki and others to ask them to return to the PDP?

We would be making more serious moves to meet with very senior citizens of this country. We won’t leave anyone behind in our desire to invigorate the party.

What are the new things you are bringing to the running of the party in order to reposition it ahead of 2019?

We would make sure that those who are there now are not going to leave. The Reconciliation Committee is talking to everyone, especially those who contested and lost. That is the first step in the rebuilding process. The second step is that we have promised that we would devolve power to the state chapters and zones of the party. The constituencies and other zonal offices will have input in the running of the party. Abuja is too far from some of the constituencies and that’s why we are giving more powers to the state chapters to handle some of the issues at their own level. They need to be more involved. Even at the ward level, we will give them more powers. The party belongs to Nigerians and therefore, let them have a say in its running and also take responsibilities. That is rebuilding and repositioning. We are getting set for the elections.

So, the devolution of powers will start from the party?

It has started already.

Does that mean that if your party wins the presidential election in 2019, devolution of powers will take place at the centre?

It is a different ball game. This is what we want to do and are doing at the party level. We are not talking about the government yet. These people at the ward level determine who become the president and all that. It is important for them to participate in the running of the party. We don’t want the issue of imposition and impunity. We want to eradicate that totally. We want them to determine who represents them. When they participate in the running of their political party, they are happier. Then we would have a reward system for them. When people participate, defend their votes and are useful to the party, they would be rewarded. We will jettison the old order, whereby people in Abuja will hijack the rewards of those who have delivered their constituencies. So, our devolution of power has nothing to do with the government at the centre. It is a party system in order to mobilise our members for the task ahead. Those in the government like the Presidency, the members of the National Assembly and the governors would be expected to handle devolution of power at the centre.

Going by the history of the party and the outcome of the convention, some people are saying that the powers of the governors should be curbed. Do you agree with such people?

The governors are strategic stakeholders of this party. So, I don’t know what these people are saying. Power or no power, there are various levels of this party. At the national level, we have the National Working Committee, the National Executive Committee and they (the governors) are all members. At the Board of Trustees level, only a few of them are members, maybe someone like the chairman of the Governors’ Forum (is a member). These are the structures of the party. But the governors are state leaders of the party. There is nothing anyone can do to take the governors away. They have the powers of leadership at the state level. No administration will say it wants to ignore the governors because they are critical in both the party and at the state administration. How can anybody ignore their critical roles? We would not (do that). Those who are saying that don’t know the inner workings of the party.

The ‘Unity list’ caused an uproar at the convention. How did it find its way there and from whom?

I don’t know what you mean by ‘Unity list.’ I believe that every aspirant must have aligned themselves with several people across the country. There is nothing new in having a list. It has happened on many occasions. If I’m from Rivers State and I have friends, I must have lobbied and asked for votes from the Kano State chapter, for example, and they must have been given some positions as well; we have to listen to one another. We must give ourselves some lists. There is nothing wrong with the list. The list is not an imposition. I’m quite sure that there were three types of lists at the convention ground. The Prof. Wale Adeniran-led group had one and my group also had one. This is because we all lobbied and canvassed for votes and we aligned ourselves for various offices. In our group within the party, we shared positions. Adeniran’s group also had its own list. Others also had. The way you described the ‘Unity list’ was like we had only one list and that it was compulsory for all the delegates to vote for those on the list. That’s not correct. People were free to vote for candidates of their choice. Names of candidates were displayed. Delegates were allowed to make choices.

How expensive was it to contest the office of the national chairman?

I don’t know because, if you move to Kano, you must go by road or by air. So, money must be spent. We didn’t give money to anyone. This was the first time contestants moved round the country, talking to delegates. Radio, television and newspaper adverts were also used. These are expenses we incurred. No one can deny that monies were spent. All the contestants spent money, but it was specifically for logistics, adverts, transportation, accommodation and media.

Bribes for delegates as well?

No money was given to any delegates. Let anybody that received money come out and say so. In politics, people just sit back and imagine anything. Don’t also forget that people, especially in opposition, are not happy that we were able to hold a successful convention. But we are not going to be distracted by that. We are going to be focused and take our responsibilities seriously.

The party will soon begin a search for its presidential candidate, what kind of person are you going to be looking out for?

We want a President that must unite the country. There must be peace before you can govern. You can see that the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government is totally broken. For peace to reign, we need to change it. There is no peace in the North-East, there is restiveness in the South-South and the South–East, herdsmen are killing people in the North-Central and even South-West every day, and there is no part of the country that is safe. We need a person that will, therefore, unite the country. Under the APC’s watch, the unity of the country is threatened. We will provide a credible platform for national unity.

The presidential ticket is zoned to the North. Is the party looking at any of the three geo-political zones there for the candidate?

No, it is open to all the zones. It is not the right of the opposition to come and tell us where our candidate should come from. The opposition tried this in our convention when it attempted to micro-zone the office of the national chairman and it failed.

What will be the criteria for picking your presidential candidate?

The guidelines will determine that. We will follow the guidelines. So, it is open to everybody and those that are coming.

The party seems to be in crisis in the South-West because there are so many factions there, especially in some states. How do you plan to resolve this?

Part of the responsibilities of the reconciliation committee is to handle what you have just said. By the grace of God, I think apart from one or two states, there is peace in the others. Reconciliation is a continuous process and I can tell you that very soon, that will be resolved.

With what is on the ground, are you sure that the party will win in the South-West in 2019?

We are going to work hard to win in all the zones. The South-West will get juicy positions in the government if we win and we hope to win. I will not say anything more than that.






https://punchng.com/south-west-will-get-juicy-positions-in-pdp-govt-secondus-partys-national-chairman/

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, has revealed his first assignment ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Secondus, while appealing to all those that contested and lost at the convention not to feel bad, said his first move will bring everyone together.


He said he has thrown the party gate open for all, adding that there was no victor and no vanquished.

Secondus said these at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja on Monday when he and members of the National Working Committee assumed office.

He said, “By the special grace of God, elections have come and gone and I declare to you that there is no victor, no vanquished.

“Our first assignment will be to bring all and sundry together, that is reconciliation.


“We reassure leaders of our party especially those who contested this election. We have already started work and by the grace of God, it will be productive.

“We promise to rebuild the party to regain the lost grounds. That will start today.

“As I walked in through the gate, it was symbolic. I asked that the gate be thrown open.

“I hereby declare the gate to this party open to all our people irrespective of their religious beliefs, their class. They are free to come into the party especially those who left for one reason or the other.”



http://dailypost.ng/2017/12/12/2019-election-secondus-reveals-first-assignment/

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, in Abuja, began a subtle move to douse tension generated among members of the Peoples Democratic Party over the outcome of last Saturday’s national convention in Abuja.

The former President assembled a team of his loyalists, who it was gathered, would visit aggrieved aspirants with a view to appealling to them to forget about their grievances and work with the Uche Secondus-led members of the National Working Committee.



Though the party has a standing committee on reconciliation, headed by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, it was gathered that the former President decided to assemble his team as the Leader of the party.

Among those in Jonathan’s team are his former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN); a former Minister of State for Finance, Amb. Bashir Yuguda; a former Minister of Finance, Nanadi Usman; and his (Jonathan’s) bosom friend, King Turner.

Jonathan, on Monday, led his team to the house of a former Minister of National Planning, Prof. Suleiman Abubakar, in Abuja.

Those in his entourage were Turaki and Turner.

The visit, which was described as unscheduled, was said to have taken Suleiman by surprise as he was said not to have been informed that the former President was visiting.

Suleiman had threatened to challenge the outcome of the convention in court, saying his name was technically omitted among those contesting the position of the National Publicity Secretary.

He had told The PUNCH on Sunday that he would go to court to challenge the outcome of the election into the position he wanted to occupy.

A source at the meeting said the former President asked him to sheathe his sword and let bygones be bygones.



The source added, “Jonathan appealed for restraint. He thanked the candidate for his doggedness and passion for the party and pleaded with him to accept the outcome of the election as the wish of God.

“Jonathan was full of praises for Sulaiman, who he admitted apparently remains the most qualified person for the job.

“Those in his entourage were Turaki, Yuguda, Usman and Turner.”

Confirming the visit, Suleiman said he thanked the former President and promised not to go to court.

He said, “Yes, it was true they visited me. I thanked him for the visit and his compassionate posture, that indeed he is a consummate leader worthy of emulation and that he has indeed inspired me more and I promised I would take to his advice.”

Meanwhile, Secondus has appealed to all those that contested and lost at the convention not to feel bad, saying there was no victor and no vanquished.

He spoke at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja on Monday when he and members of the NWC assumed office.

The new party chairman promised to bring everyone on board in the running of the party.

He stated, “By the special grace of God, elections have come and gone and I declare to you that there is no victor, no vanquished.

“Our first assignment will be to bring all and sundry together, that is reconciliation. We reassure leaders of our party, especially those who contested this election; we have already started work and by the grace of God, it will be productive.

“We promise to rebuild the party to regain the lost grounds. That will start today.

“As I walked in through the gate, it was symbolic. I asked that the gate be thrown open.

“I hereby declare the gate to this party open to all our people irrespective of their religious beliefs, their class. They are free to come into the party especially those who left for one reason or the other.”

He added that he would decentralise power from the centre so that he and members of the NWC would be less busy to enable them (NWC members) to focus on the mission to reclaim power in 2019.

He told the gathering, which included all members of the former National Caretaker Committee, led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, that the old order was gone.

Secondus commended Makarfi for holding what he described as the best national convention in the history of political parties in the country.

In his remarks, Makarfi said it was wrong to assume that a section of the country had lost out in the party.

He said there was no way the party would alienate any section, appealing to the new leaders of the party to embark on a process that he said would heal the wounds.

Wike, Secondus visit Bode George

Meanwhile, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Uche Secondus, on Sunday night, met with a former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George, The PUNCH has learnt.

It was learnt that the governor and the PDP chairman visited George at his Maitama home, Abuja, to seek his cooperation following the rancour that followed the PDP convention that held last Saturday, where Secondus emerged as the new party chairman.

It was learnt that George told Wike to apologise to the Yoruba for his comments last Friday, arguing that refusing to do so would make it very difficult for them to campaign in Yorubaland in 2019.

George, who was one of the chairmanship aspirants, had stepped down less than 24 hours to the convention, describing the event as a charade.

He had also lambasted the Rivers State governor for saying the people of the South-West did not deserve to produce the chairman of the party.

An impeccable source told The PUNCH that Secondus told George that he would work with everyone and nobody would feel marginalised in the party.

The source added, “Governor Wike and Prince Secondus visited Chief George late on Sunday as part of efforts to reconcile aggrieved parties in the PDP. Prince Secondus asked George not to feel aggrieved as everything was mere politics and they should not lose sight of the most important thing, which is to unseat the All Progressives Congress.

“Chief George received them warmly and advised them. He criticised Wike for making such disparaging comments about the Yoruba. Wike said he was sorry if anyone felt slighted but he meant no harm.

“Chief George told him to find a way of assuaging the Yoruba who feel very bad with the way they have been treated. He told Wike that the APC is already exploiting the Yoruba issue and that if it is not addressed properly, it could affect the PDP’s electoral chances in the South-West in 2019.

“It was the same way the deportation of Igbo by Governor Babatunde Fashola was exploited and caused the APC to lose every Igbo-dominated area in Lagos in 2015. He explained that it was the inability of the PDP to give the South-West a major position that caused them to reject the PDP at the polls in 2015. Wike and Secondus thanked Chief George and said they would find a way of appeasing the South-West.”

It was learnt that a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and former Governor Olusegun Mimiko also visited George over the issue and asked him to let bygones be bygones.

Wike had, during a programme on Channels Television, titled ‘Sunrise Daily’, on Friday, said the South-West PDP lacked leaders that could head the party.

The governor had said, “The problem that the PDP has today arose from the South-West. Look at the crisis! Mention one chairman that you will vote today in the South-West that will stabilise the party. Take for example, Tunde Adeniran. If you vote him in, then that will be the beginning of the crisis of the PDP in Ekiti State.

“This is because he cannot cooperate with the governor. Our experience has always been that if you vote in a chairman from a state that has a (PDP) governor and they don’t work together, then that party will be in trouble in that state.

Wike said even when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was President, the South-West still did not vote for the PDP.

He, therefore, stated that it would be unwise to concede the chairmanship position to the South-West in order to woo the zone.

Secondus confirmed the meeting with George in an interview with one of our correspondents on Monday, stating that the former deputy national chairman of the party remained his boss.

“Yes, we met. Chief Bode George remains my boss and I will always cherish him. I have tremendous respect for him and I will need him in the task ahead,” he added.

Efforts to reach the Rivers State governor to confirm if he visited George on Sunday proved futile.

But the Rivers State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, said though he was not aware if Wike visited George, it was not impossible for the governor to reach out to the party chieftain.

He described the governor as a peace-loving man who wanted the party to be more united in no distant time.

Secondus will lead PDP to victory in 2019 –Ogor

In a related development, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Leo Ogor, on Monday, said the choice of Secondus as the new National Chairman of the PDP would propel the party to victory in the 2019 general election.

Ogor noted that Secondus deserved to presently lead the party to overcome its 2015 failure, urging him to unite warring factions in the party for future elections.

The lawmaker in a statement by his Press Secretary, Akpodhoma Michael, congratulated the PDP chairman and other new national executive members on their victory during the Saturday convention.

The member, representing Isoko Federal Constituency, appealed to former chieftains of the party, who left due to the crisis in the party, to return home as the party under Secondus would provide a level playing field for all members ahead of 2019.

Ogor added, “I am confident that the trust placed in you by the delegates of our great party will inspire you to continue important efforts in promoting the unity of our party, leading it on the path of prosperity, further well-being and success for our people during the 2019 general election.

“I am particularly glad that you have chosen to rebuild, reposition and regain power for our great party. I firmly believe that our party will continue to increase in number as we expect more of our previous members to come back to our dynamic party.”

He lauded the efforts of Makarfi, who headed the National Caretaker Committee of the party, for leading the party out of its turbulent times.

The Reps minority leader also commended the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa-led National Convention Planning Committee for organising a transparent, successful and hitch-free convention.

Also, the Chairman of Niger State Chapter of the PDP, Tanko Beji, on Monday, said last Saturday’s election of Secondus, as the new national chairman of the party, marked the beginning of a new dawn for the party.

The party also believed the election of Secondus was “the end of imposition and impunity in the party.”

These were contained in a message the party sent to the new PDP chairman and other members of the new NWC.

In the message by Beji, a copy of which was made available to journalists in Minna, the party said it was confident that the national chairman would bring about progress and unity in the party.

He stated, “There is no doubt that your overwhelming victory with 2,000 votes, out of a total of 2,396 delegates at the convention, was a testimony to your acceptability by all delegates at the convention and the PDP members at home and in the Diaspora.

“Your victory is also an endorsement of your leadership capability and belief that you possess all that it takes to move our party to greater heights.

“Your victory as the new national chairman of our party is a reward for your steadfastness, loyalty and dedication to the party before, during and after the crisis that engulfed our party especially when some enemies of the party and democracy tried to derail us.”

He advised the new national chairman to be wary of sycophants who could derail his plans for the party.

“Now that the national convention is over, the new leadership should use the new spirit in the party to start the preparations for the next general election,” Beji added.

He warned the party to “avoid the pitfalls of the previous executives which caused us the 2015 elections.”




http://punchng.com/pdp-jonathan-leads-reconciliation-team-wike-secondus-visit-george/

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on Tuesday assured that he would relate with National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Uche Secondus, without rancour.


He gave the assurance in a statement in Abuja, congratulating Secondus on his election at the party´s national convention on Saturday.


The APC chairman tasked the PDP to assume its role as a responsible opposition, with the election of its new national executives.


“It is my hope that the newly-elected PDP national chairman will use his experience garnered over the years to ensure that the PDP assumes its role as a responsible opposition party in the country.


“Our party wholeheartedly welcomes opposition, because we believe that democracy cannot thrive without a vibrant but responsible opposition that puts the nation first.

“This will often challenge you to balance partisan interests with overall national considerations.

“I assure the PDP national chairman of my willingness to engage him robustly in an atmosphere devoid of acrimony and rancour,’’ he said.

He added that in working together, the two parties could elevate the language and temper of politics in the country to provide the enabling environment for democracy to thrive.



Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/12/odigie-oyegun-promises-work-secondus/

The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus,
has promised to decentralise power of the party’s national leaders to
state executive committees.

Mr. Secondus said this on Monday in Abuja at the handover of the party
leadership by the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee to the
new national leadership of the party elected at Saturday’s national
convention.

He said that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party would
empower the states’ executive committees so that attention could be
focused on regaining power in 2019.

“Let me assure the state chapters and our state chairmen that from today,
you will have full powers to operate to make sure that our party
progresses in the right direction.

“I will empower you on behalf of the EXCO.

“We will decentralise power from the centre so that we will be less busy
here to focus on same mission to reclaim our lost grounds in 2019,” Mr.
Secondus said.

He assured that with the taking over of party leadership by a new
executive committee led by him, there would be no more impunity in PDP.

“The old order is gone. We will operate in the new order. There will be
transparency in primaries,” he said.

The chairman said the first assignment for NWC would be reconciliation
among party members, especially candidates at the just-concluded
convention.

He said the work of reconciliation had started and expressed optimism that
it would be productive.

He added that the gate of PDP was open to all party members, especially
those who left, irrespective of their religious beliefs and class.

“This is the only platform that does not belong to any group or big man.
This is a party that provides for the big, the small and the
less-privileged.”

Mr. Secondus said the All Progressives Congress (APC) was running a broken
government, and pledged that PDP would rescue and rebuild the country.
He said his leadership would not be distracted by the “false propaganda”
of the ruling party.

Mr. Secondus said the new executive would come up with its policies and
plan for a retreat, which would hold in next couple of days

He commended Mr. Makarfi for accomplishing the mission the party bestowed
on him even in the trying moments of the party.

He added that Mr. Makarfi also organised the best convention in the
history of any political party in the nation at a time people were so
sacred and afraid that there would be nothing like PDP again.

“You are our hero. History will remember you.

“We need you to stand by because your advice and input will be very
useful, if we must move forward,’’ he said.

Earlier, Mr. Makarfi had advised the new executive to ensure that the
party won the 2019 general elections.

He also urged it to focus on reconciliation, and appealed to party members
to work together with the new leadership.




http://pointblanknews.com/pbn/exclusive/secondus-resumespromise-immediate-reconciliationdecentralization-of-powers-to-states/

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has congratulated the newly elected National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus.

This comes as a complete reversal of its earlier position on the election that brought Secondus to position of Chairman of PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC).

Recall that the APC had claimed that reports of alleged rigging during Secondus’ election shows that PDP is rooted in corruption and cannot change.

However, in a statement Tuesday morning by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the APC Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun said: “on behalf of our great Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), I congratulate the new National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus on his election at the PDP’s recent National Convention.

“I also congratulate other newly-elected PDP National Officials.

“It is my hope that the newly-elected PDP National Chairman will use his experience garnered over the years to ensure that the PDP assumes its role as a responsible opposition Party in the country.

“Our Party wholeheartedly welcome opposition because we believe that democracy cannot thrive without a vibrant but responsible opposition that puts the nation first. This will often challenge you to balance partisan interests with overall national considerations.

“I assure the PDP National Chairman of my willingness to engage him robustly in an atmosphere devoid of acrimony and rancour.

“I believe that working together we can both elevate the language and temper of politics in our country, thereby providing the enabling environment for democracy to thrive in our country.”





http://dailypost.ng/2017/12/12/apc-makes-u-turn-congratulates-pdp-national-chairman-uche-secondus/

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Prince Uche Secondus currently meeting with PDP National delegates and state party executives members in Benue State

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Prince Uche Secondus currently meeting with PDP National delegates and state party executives members in Jalingo Taraba State

With the elective National Convention of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party billed for a few days away, indications have shown that the United States Government is keenly monitoring the process of the election and who may eventually emerge as the party’s National Chairman.
Already, eight party Chieftains have indicated interest in contesting the position of the National Chairman with series of campaigns across the country.
However, one of the aspirants, Professor Tunde Adeniran, who was formerly nominated as an Ambassador to the United States but was then rejected by the US Government may find it hard to sell the party outside the shores of Nigeria should he emerge Chairman on December 9.
A top member of the US Foreign Mission in Nigeria who preferred to stay anonymous as he is not authorized to speak publicly about the issue disclosed that the United States Government and its affiliate organizations may not work with the party if Adeniran becomes the Chairman.
“The decision of rejecting a designated Ambassador is a serious and sensitive one especially as such move may sever the relationship between both countries.
“For him (Professor Tunde Adeniran) to have been rejected, it means the US Government was faced with facts of grave accusations against him and have explored all options.
“It will be extremely difficult for the party (PDP) to build any relationship with the US Government or any of its affiliates and allies if he (Adeniran) will be leading the party,” he said.
In 2009, Professor Adeniran who was nominated by late President Yar’Adua became the first Ambassadorial nominee by Nigeria to be rejected by the US Government.
A report in 2009 claimed that Adeniran’s son alongside two others were accused of false imprisonment and conspiracy to commit rape in Baltimore, Maryland, being part of the reasons why Adeniran was rejected.



Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/12/pdp-chairmanship-us-might-not-work-adeniran-envoy/

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