PDP in fresh crisis in seven national officers resign

…Youth Leader demands Secondus resignation
Seven national officers of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has tendered their resignations in the Prince Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee, NWC citing ‘ill treatment’ and ‘bad leadership’.
This is as the National Youth Leader of the party, SKE Ude-Okoye has asked Prince Secondus to either resign or face impeachment following his alleged lack of competence and capacity to manage the affairs of the party.
On Tuesday, seven deputy national officers made up of 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 resigned their positions, citing the “bad treatment” exhibited by the PDP national chairman since the election that brought the current leadership of the party to power in 2017.
Chairman of the PDP Deputy National Officers Forum, Diran Odeyemi who has been in London, United Kingdom in the past six days while declining to comment on the development, however said he aligned himself completely with the decision of his colleagues to throw in the towel.
Meanwhile, the party has reacted to the resignation of the party officials saying that its internal conflict resolution mechanism has been activated to put these issues behind it.
Briefing the press, the National Publicity Secretary, Ologbondiyan said the party’s NWC “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, stakeholder and members of our great party to remain calm as we collectively resolve these issues.”
But the National Youth Leader of the party, SKE Ude-Okoye while briefing the press earlier said “He (Secondus) 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 decieve 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 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 public.”
On how many members of the NWC are asking for Secondus resignation, the Youth Leader said, “Seven deputies have already resigned their positions today because of Secondus, many more people are also going to resign in the NWC because of Secondus. Right now I can tell you that not less than eight to ten persons within the NWC members are very aggrieved with Secondus but I have taken my stand because I cannot seat here and one man who ought to respect his age and respect the oat of the party that he has sworn to protect, to defend, to work for the interest of the party will keep making sure that the party does not go anywhere.”
He said the leadership of the PDP will consider the option of impeachment if he fails to resign.
The National Chairman, Secondus has however dismissed the allegations of incompetence and self enrichment levelled against him by the Youth Leaders, insisting that he will not resign.
Secondus Special Adviser on Media, Ike Abonyi while briefing the media on the development said, “Regarding the press conference of the Youth leader who is realising after three and half years that Secondus is incompetent, that Secondus is enriching himself, it took him three and a half years and four, five months to the convention, 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, fee 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 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 do t want to go back there.”
Meanwhile one of the national officers who tendered his resignation and spoke with pointblanknews.com in confidence berated the Secondus-led NWC for allegedly treating deputy national officers “as if we are nobodies.”
Asked to clarify his comment, the officer who was barely able to contain his anger has this to say: “My brother, since our election in 2017, we (deputy national officers) have only met with our chairman, Prince Uche Secondus thrice. It is not as if he called us; on those three occasions, we sought audience with him.
“The most annoying part is that during Christmas and Sallah festivities, the NWC would visit our governors. They would collect money and other items but I can tell you that they don’t share anything with the deputies. To him, we are just a necessary evil to be tolerated but never to be catered for. We all have our constituencies and our followers but from the way we are being treated, it appears they see us as nothing but appendages forced on them by the party’s constitution.”