Seven deputy national officers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ),have resigned their positions.
The seven deputy national officers, who resigned are: Diran Odeyemi, deputy national publicity secretary; Ahmed Bello, deputy national legal adviser; Umoru Hadizat, deputy national women leader; Divine Amina Arong, deputy national auditor; Hassan Yakubu, deputy national organizing secretary; and Irona Alphonsus, deputy national financial secretary.
They said their action was precipitated by bad treatment exhibited by the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, since the election that brought the current leadership of the party to power in 2017,and alleged financial impropriety in the leadership of the party.
The national youth leader of the party,Udeh Okoye,told newsmen that ten of the National Working Committee members would also resign their appointments if Secondus fails to thrown in the towel by weekend.
Secondus,he claims, is incompetent of managing the affairs of this party, and lacks managerial capacity to manage the Peoples Democratic Party.
Okoye said: “Mr. Uche Secondus, the National Chairman of the party is incompetent of managing the affairs of this party, he lacks managerial capacity to manage PDP.He had made sure that many departments of the party did not function as effectively as it ought to function. Mr. Chairman has nothing to offer to the party only to come here and deceive us.
“There is a sharp division in our NWC right now, not only me, many more NWC members are more aggrieved than myself. Today I have asked him (Chairman) in our NWC meeting to resign his position as the chairman of this party because he cannot lead this party to victory.I am also asking the leaders, the governors, the founding fathers, the youth, the women to rise up to rescue our party from the hand of incompetent leader like Secondus because he is not willing to take us to anywhere. He is just there to make sure that he enriches himself.
“I am here to make it very clear to all Nigerians that if Secondus does not resign from the party, I am going to leave the party for him to eat the party and own the party. The governors, if they don’t wade into this matter right now, I assure Nigerians that within the next three, four days, my letter will be made public.”
The spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party,Kola Ologbondiyan, confirmed that the National Working Committee (NWC) received the notice of the resignation from deputies who are elected members of the National Executive Committee.
Ologbondiyan said: “The National Working Committee of our great party at it meeting today (Tuesday) recieved the notice of the resignation from deputies who are elected members of the National Executive Committee.
“The meeting of the National Working Committee and the deputies immediately took place to dialogue on the issues that were raised. The party will look into the grievances raised by members of NEC as well as members of the National Working Committee.
“The internal conflict resolution mechanism of our party has also been immediately activated to put these issues behind us. We call on all the leaders, stakeholders and members of our great party to remain calm as we collectively resolve these issues.”
Besides,Secondus,through his media aide,Ike Abonyi,wondered why it took Okoye three and a half years and four to five months to the convention, to realize that he’s incompetent.
He said: “It is very unfortunate because he has operated as the youth leader of this party since December 2017 with Secondus as National Chairman and has worked with him but suddenly, few months to convention, after the game of this morning, in some party of Abuja, he suddenly discovered that Secondus is incompetent, he suddenly discovered that Secondus is enriching himself?
“I want to assure members of the party that the structure of the party is intact and Prince Secondus is the National Chairman and anybody who resigns the poaition will be filled the next day and this party will work to victory in 2023, there is no going back about it.All those who are looking for interim government few months to general election are taking us back to Egypt and no body is ready to go back to Egypt. We have passed through this road before and we don’t want to go back there.”
