Why PDP Chieftains Insist On Removing Uche Secondus As Chairman

Some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Monday, resumed the agitation for the removal of Prince Uche Secondus as the National Chairman of the party.

While the PDP caucus in the House of Representatives led by Honourabe Kingsley Chinda, warned that Uche Secondus’ stay in office “will do grave injustice to the party and put us in a precarious situation as every hour should matter now”; youths within the party, under the aegis of the Save PDP Group, accused the national chairman of creating factions in the states for his own selfish ambition.

However, there are strong indications that the agitation for Secondus’ removal may be connected to the upcoming national convention of the party.

The PDP is constitutionally required to hold a convention in December 2021 to pick a new set of leaders to steer its affairs at the highest levels.

But reliable sources within the PDP secretariat say some chieftains of the party are afraid that the national chairman has a vested interest in who becomes the party’s presidential flagbearer in 2023, and so would manipulate activities during the convention to perpetuate himself in office in spite of his alleged lacklustre performance in office.

According to one insider, “If Uche Secondus is going to be allowed to stay. He should give the assurance that he is not going to interfere in the coming national convention, and that he going to conduct a free and fair, crisis-free convention.

“It is important that governors from our party and members of the BoT listen to what the people are saying. We are waiting for the final resolution of the governors as they meet tonight (Monday) to deliberate on the matter.”

Naija News also gathered that because the powers to call for a convention, set-up the convention planning committee, and superintendent affairs during the convention lay with the national chairman.

Consequently, those insisting on the immediate removal of Uche Secondus are doing so, in order to make hay while the sun is still shining.

“We are approaching elections and people are trying to fight for the soul of the party.

“We have to look at how our party goes to convention. Why is the chairman the only person that can conduct affairs during the national convention? You can’t be an empire in your own election.

“If we have a situation where the total powers of controlling the convention is taken away from one man and put in the hands of trusted people all of these agitations would die down,” another source said.
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