The former Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and a national chairmanship aspirant, Prince Uche Secondus, has promised to restore internal democracy, if he is given the mandate.
Secondus said that the new leadership would take the party to another level with a view to restoring its winning ways.
He made the pronouncements at Ibro Hotel while addressing North Central delegates to the December 9th National Convention of the party.
Secondus told the delegates that included former governors, former ministers, old and serving senators, members of House of Representatives and other chieftains that PDP is at a cross road and needed a leadership that would hit the ground running.
He said: “Our party at the moment is not at a comfort zone and therefore requires purposeful leadership as it cannot afford any waste of time.
“With election around the corner there is no time to learn, the party need an experienced person and I think I have it having served the party at various levels meritoriously.
“Let me assure you that as your National Chairman I would deliver votes and if I can’t deliver votes from my constituency I should resign.
Listing some of the achievements that stand him out to lead the party, Secondus said under his watch as National Organising Secretary, the party had the best internal and external elections.
He also said that as acting National Chairman he set up a special committee that looked into the causes of the failure of the party in 2015 general election pointing out that the post-mortem report which has been adopted by the National Executive Committee NEC would be a huge guide for him to rebuild, reform and regain the party.
Secondus also reminded the delegates how he saved the party from an impending constitutional crisis by ignoring the urge of the former National Chairman Alhaji Áli Modu Sheriff, who wanted him not to preside over the Port Harcourt convention and which became the grounds for the Supreme Court to dismiss Sheriff.
“If you give me your mandate, under my watch, I would decentralize power to states and get our members more involved in the running of the party.
“I would ensure that popular candidates fly our flag because when popular person hold the ticket, the election is 50% won
“The 2019 election is for us to take if we do the tight thing and I can assure you that I have the skill, I have what it takes and the experience if you give me the mandate.
“I would not be distracted, I would leverage on the peace and support the party enjoys in my state and in my zone.
The former governor of Plateau State, Senator Jonah Jang, said the North Central delegates appreciate his humility of seeing himself as a servant of the party.
He said: “What this party needs now is not a chairman but the chairman who would take the party to victory; we have all seen how painful and hurting it is to lose election.”
Jang however, said that the PDP position at Aso a Rock is still empty and members and their leaders should not keep God away in what they do or seek.
On the entourage of Secondus to address the delegates included former governors, National Assembly members and other Chieftains of the party across the six geo political zones.
Top leaders and delegates of the Peoples’ Democratic Party from the North Central zone have pledged their support for the chairmanship ambition of Secondus.
Jang recalled the current travails of the party and posited that an experienced party chief like Secondus is the best option for the party.
Jang, who commended the humility of Secondus, said PDP can only win in 2019 when a tested chairman is elected next month.
Addressing delegates and leaders at the meeting, Secondus said: “PDP is at a cross road and needs a leadership that would hit the ground running,” adding that “Our party at the moment is not at a comfort zone and therefore requires purposeful leadership as it cannot afford any waste of time.
“With election around the corner there is no time to learn, the party need an experienced person and I think I have it having served the party at various levels meritoriously.
“Let me assure you that as your National Chairman I would deliver votes and if I can’t deliver votes from my constituency I should resign.
Listing some of the achievements that stand him out to lead the party, Prince Secondus said under his watch as National Organizing Secretary, the party had the best internal and external elections.
He also said that as acting National Chairman he set up a special committee that looked into the causes of the failure of the party in 2015 general election pointing out that the post-mortem report which has been adopted by the National Executive Committee NEC would be a huge guide for him to rebuild, reform and regain the party.
Secondus also reminded the delegates how he saved the party from an impending constitutional crisis by ignoring the urge of the former National Chairman Alhaji Áli Modu Sheriff, who wanted him not to preside over the Port Harcourt convention and which became the grounds for the Supreme Court to dismiss Sheriff.
