Nigeria Dangerously Sliding to Chaos, Secondus Warns

Chuks Okocha

National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday said Nigerians are waiting for justice to be meted to its presidential candidate in the last general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the petition of the party because it was robbed of victory in the election.

This is coming as the party denied allegation that Secondus was interfering in the Bayelsa State governorship primaries scheduled for September 3.

He also asked the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal not to dash the hopes of Nigerians at the tribunal “because the country is dangerously sliding to abyss.”

Secondus made the declaration when he received the Senator Ben Obi committee on the crisis rocking the PDP in Lagos State.

According to him, “Nigerians are waiting for justice at the presidential election petition tribunal because we believe that we were robbed of victory, and the country is dangerously sliding to abyss. Everybody is living in fear. Everyone is living in fear of insecurity and hunger. Also, there is mounting case of unemployment.

“But inside of these fears, Nigerians had spoken in the last elections. We all believe in God on the indivisible and indivisibility of Nigeria as a sovereignty country. No matter what shall be our position, Nigeria shall remain one country as we hope that the presidential election petition tribunal shall deliver justice to Nigerians and not dash our hopes.”

The PDP national chairman also admonished the governorship aspirants of Kogi and Bayelsa States not to resort to blackmail or violence no matter their grievances, stating that due processes as stated in the party constitution must be adhered to.

“No matter the grievance, we must follow the party constitution and laid down due processes,” he said, while reiterating the PDP position on reformation, reconciliation and repositioning of the party to meet the challenges and elections ahead.

Secondus promised that the party would look into the recommendations of the Ben Obi committee, vowing not to interfere into the affairs of the PDP in Lagos State.

He equally said the national leadership of PDP would reconsider the lopsidedness of members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party.

Earlier, chairman of the PDP committee on reconciliation, Senator Obi, while presenting his report to the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP, said Lagos is a winnable state in the next election if the right steps are taken.

But he said some issues that caused the crisis in the state must be addressed, adding that such issues are the executive interference and the lopsidedness of the party’s BoT in one of the senatorial zones of the state.

Secondus stated that this was the outcome of their committee meeting with members and elders of the PDP in Lagos State, including former Ministers, Dapo Sarumi and Abimbola Ogunkelu.

Obi said PDP members in Lagos State agreed that they would no longer accept imposition of leaders, adding that they want every process of filling vacant positions to be done democratically in line with the party constitution.

The committee chairman said the reconciliation took place with 15 out of 20 local government area chairmen of the party, stating that the elders and stakeholders of PDP in the state accepted that there is need for reconciliation in the party.