People’s Democratic Party, PDP held sway in the political scene of Nigeria for consecutive 16 years,after the return to democracy in 1999.
During it’s leadership and rulership,so many events shaped and reshaped the former ruling party while in government, both from the actors and the people of Nigeria.
Many events overtook each other before and after the 2015 general elections, which led to the narrow lost of election by the most popular party in Africa, PDP which original template was designed,nutured and geared towards ruling Nigeria for 60 years,under a well thought out virile leadership succession.
But the variables that occassioned the dramatic loss was not natural and normal,but compunded by human error,high level connivance, collaboration,betrayals within and outside the party, by it’s top echelon,that led to the dismal defeat.
Even though,the events that warranted such awkward developement is now history,with the emergence of a dedicated, pragmatic, people and extremely loyal party man soon after the success of the 2017 National convention, that produced Prince Uche Secondus as the National Chairman of People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
With his ascension,events that was responsible for the election misfortune became history as the connivance of the now ruling party and the main opposition party members, that brought APC to the National leadership could not see the light of the day.
A party that it’s former National Chairman,Adamu Muazu was compromised and absconded after the 2019 election, including a ruling party sponsored self imposed Chairman of the party,in the likes of Ahmed Gulak and Senator Alih Modu Sherrif(SAS),that held the party to the jugular before the legal pronouncements,through factionalisation and heading towards balkanisation, that gave victory to the supremacy of the Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi led faction of the PDP, cannot be as reformed as now, under the leadership of Prince Uche Secondus.
The National Chairman did not only emerge as the consensus candidate in a convention that had the vote of confidence by the international Communities,but on the ‘Unity list’ mulled by the party members to return the party to the leadership position of the country.
With the fearlessness,eloquence, pragmatic,determination and desire to return the party to it’s ruling status in Nigeria, and coming from a well thought out wealth of experience both in the public,private and politics,the National Chairman set the ball rolling to redress the glaring anomaly that led to the unfortunate perfomance of the party in the 2015, general election.
True to his determination to achieve the trend,two years into the next general election in 2019, he confronted with out reservation,the grand clamour to all Nigerians and preference of PDP, to the current order in the country.
He was unperturbed and dogged in his movements and visits to both PDP ruled and APC states,churning out statements that is in tandem with the best democratic rules and environment, either through constructive ciriticisms or direct affront, that ensured the protection of our democratic norms.
In many instances,Prince Uche Secondus led executive of PDP had protested before the international Communities to prevail on the ruling party of the need to create an enabling environment for democracy to thrive in Nigeria,devoid of any untoward actions from the ruling party.
On many instances, Prince Uche Secondus protested both to INEC and Diplomatic offices of the US,UK on the glaring election fraud perpetrated against the PDP in Osun and Ekiti states,where the party was denied victory owing to electoral fraud, violence and intimidation.
This developement led to sanctions on the Nigeria goverrment before the general elections in 2019, and after the elections,where PDP was denied success in many states of the federation.
Inspite of the intimidation and electoral fraud and violence perpetrated by the ruling APC led goverrment in 2019, both at the state and federal level,the Secondus led PDP National Working Committee NWC won many states from the ruling party,as states that victory of the party was muzzled,attract sanctions from the international Communities and threat of sanctions, as it was prevalent in kogi,Kano,Edo and lately Ondo states.
Prince Uche Secondus instilled internal democracy and party supremacy simultaneously in PDP, as needless crises out of anti democratic activities within the party was in total control and minimal,that occassioned the wonderful perfomance of the party in 2019 general elections,to the admiration of many Nigerians whose preference is the leadership of the PDP to the current APC administration.
As a former party exco and by extension a former Ag National Chairman of PDP, Prince Secondus wealth of experience garnered over the years has assisted in no small measure to revert the main opposition party as the preference of many Nigerians, even before the 2019 general elections, that was described by many international and local observers as characterised with political fraud and manipulations.
The Chairman’s led NWC,BOT and NEC has been alive to it’s responsibility, playing the major opposition roles,with PDP ruled states and governor’s as the most and well performed governor’s across the country, compared to the APC governors.
It is on record that under Prince Uche Secondus chairmamship ,a state governor coincidentally from Rivers State where he hail from, uniquely commissioned infrastructural projects for consecutive two weeks ,with Nigeria in second stage of recession , COVID-19 pandemic both in the first and second wave.
He ensured state excos of the party are in place through constant monitoring of party excos from ward,local,states and federal level,and in some instances,caretaker committees are in place to run the party with the approval of NWC.
His democratic disposition in the leadership of the party in the last three years is devoid of autocratic and self centered decisions, a major achievements of Prince Uche Secondus as the National Chairman of the party.
This postive developement had brought stability,calmness,more support base, followerships, and Nigerians countenance and emotions to return PDP back to goverrment in Nigeria by 2023, and by extension the clamour for continuity of the Prince Uche Secondus led executive of PDP at the National level.
This will guarantee continuity,enability and determination both by the party leadership, stakeholders and Nigerians to vote enmasse for PDP in the 2023 general elections.
Having survived all the hustles and bustles as well as the confrontational tendencies of the present administration,it will only be wise and a rightful decision for PDP as goverrment in waiting till 2023, not to allow internal exercise that may affect the mass support base achieved by the present leadership, be eroded in a twinkle of an eye.
Advisably, the party’s decision to embark on mass reconciliation should be expanded to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the party leaders,members and stakeholders.
Prince Secondus is equal to the task ahead,he has come, seen, conquered,and all hands must be on deck to avoid the failing ruling party, APC infiltrate into the success already achieved and being envisaged by the current leadership leading to total emancipation of Nigerians by 2023.
A stiche in time,saves nine.
Abubakar Yusuf Writes From Abuja.