By Bisi Ezekiel
Since he took over as the National Chairman of the largest democratic political party in Africa, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has not left anyone in doubt that he is an efficient manager of men and resources in a political firmament.
Even his detractors have swallowed their words at the instances of his achievements at the driver’s seat of the PDP.
He came into office at a trying period for the PDP, picked the party from the ‘almost ruins’ of dangerous power play, set in motion his dexterity as Manager of Men and Resources and bring back life into the party.
Secondus came at a time when the party was in tatters, and the PDP umbrella almost torn to shred by an intraparty factional crisis, but within a short space of less than a year, the ‘Total Chairman’ as he is fondly called, began a reconciliation and healing process across the 36 states chapters of the party and the party once again bounced back, regained life and once again on the winning track.
In appreciation of his conflict management capabilities and capability, many PDP top notchers sojourning in different political camps started finding their ways back under the ‘umbrella’ that is large enough to accommodate all.
The party under him continue to reclaim lost states, expanding into frontiers of core leftist and make PDP once again the toast of every lover of genuine democracy.
Secondus is a team player who uphold the integrity and internal democracy as a vital tool for a successful party.
In the history of party primaries in Nigerian politics, no one has ever been adjudged the best and less controversial as the PDP presidential primary that produced Atiku Abubakar as the party’s candidate in the 2019 presidential election. It was free, fair and credible. This great feat could only be achieved under a honest leader such as Prince Uche Secondus.
Last Saturday’s governorship election in Edo state which was convincingly won by the party’s candidate, Godwin Obaseki further attest to the fact Secondus mean business in expanding the frontiers of the PDP.
When the Edo state governor approached the PDP to rescue him from humiliation by his former godfather, Adams Oshiomhole, some people protested the open acceptance of Obaseki by the party leadership. They even went ahead in calling Secondus led NWC names and threatened to initiate impeachment move against the national chairman.
But like a political Nostradamus, Secondus saw a bright future for the party in adding Edo to the list of states under the umbrella, grabbed the opportunity, put machinery in motion to pacify aspirants who were in the race for the PDP governorship ticket. And eventually, through a transparent, free and credible primary election, Obaseki got the ticket.
Secondus, without minding to step on toes saw reason in allowing Philip Shaibu also coming to frim APC to run alongside Obaseki on the PDP platform.
Today, the national chairman did not regret yeilding the PDP platform to Obaseki and Shaibu to contest because Edo state has been added to the PDP controlled states.
Secondus as ever before won again. He did the magic with Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to win Sokoto, he did same for Samuel Ortom to win Benue. He has continued to deepen democracy across the country.
With the Edo victory, PDP under the leadership of Secondus has completed the total take over of the entire South-South geopolitical zone by the party.
This has put to shame, the APC spokesperson, Yekini Nabena who before the Edo election claimed that ”the PDP is crumbling under Secondus watch”.
If not for the brazen robbery of the PDP election victories in Osun, Ekiti, Lagos and Kano states governorship elections in 2019, the APC would by now have been relegated to an opposition party in those states.
Bisi Ezekiel wrote in from the National Secretariat of the PDP in Abuja.
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