Tag Archives: SECONDUS

INEC Is Out to Truncate Nigeria’s Democracy – Secondus

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Ex-Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Prince Uche Secondus has raised alarm that the nation’s democracy was heading towards a total collapse if the conduct and style of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC under the leadership of Prof Mahmood Yakubu were not checked and curtailed.

According to him, with the way and manner the present INEC has been conducting its activities, it has become very obvious that the new INEC Chairman lacks what he termed, the wherewithal to run the Commission, adding that it has also become imperative that he must be guided if Nigeria’s democracy must be protected.

He said that from Kogi, Bayelsa to Rivers, Imo and Edo states the conduct of INEC has shown crass incompetence as it has failed glaringly to conduct a free, fair and credible election, just as he called on all democratic watchers to stand up against the present INEC that he alleged to have shown clearly that its mission is to destroy this democracy by continuously thwarting the will of the people. In a statement he personally signed and released in Abuja yesterday, Secondus noted that recent events involving INEC shows clearly that the commission’s integrity was being challenged.

Secondus said, “events surrounding the electoral body since Prof Yakubu took over from Prof Attahiru Jega leaves one with no other conclusion than that it is not only incompetent but obviously a bias agency designed to dance the music of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC rather than that of Nigerians. “From Kogi, Bayelsa to Rivers, Imo and Edo states the conduct of this INEC has shown crass incompetence as it has failed glaringly to conduct a free, fair and credible election. At every step on the way the commission has compromised its independence by conniving with agents of the APC to manipulate electoral process and undermine the will of the people.”

Secondus described as most unfortunate the fact that the commission ” is being pushed about with impunity by the ruling APC that is a huge beneficiary of a sound and credible electoral process put in place by the PDP. ”

The development in Rivers state where some APC agents were caught printing ballot papers has exposed INEC and wondered where the printers got the code number and all the security link if they were not in league with the Commission. He calls on President Muhammedu Buhari to condemn the act and denounce APC’s desperation for power. ” The failure of INEC to conduct credible poll all these while has far reaching implication in the sustaintenance of democracy in the country as well as ensuring national stability.

“Finally, I call on all democratic watchers to stand up against this INEC that has shown clearly that its mission is to destroy this democracy by continuously thwarting the will of the people.”

Car Gift Allegation: Justice Will Prevail – Secondus

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PDP Deputy National Chairman Uche Secondus, has expressed optimism that he would get justice in the ongoing investigation into allegation of receiving cars as gift from his friend.

 

Secondus made the statement in Abuja on Thursday while addressing newsmen on his detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

 

It will be recalled that Secondus was invited by the EFCC on Feb. 23 to clarify issues related to ongoing investigation by the commission.

 

Secondus said that he was confronted with allegation of receiving some cars from Mr Jide Omokore who had been his friend for more than 20 years.

 

“I admitted to them that Mr Jide Omokore has given me car gifts on several occasions in the last 10 years for my personal use.

“I want to state categorically that what I received from my friend, Jide Omokore were cars and buses supplied by a well-known car company, Skymit Motors apparently from credit facility Omokore has with the company.

“I don’t have any knowledge of the so-called transaction the investigators are alleging he had with the NNPC,’’ he said.

 

The PDP chieftain expressed dismay that the facts of the matter under investigation had been grossly misrepresented in the media.

He said that he was granted bail under stringent conditions after eight days in detention.

 

“Since the EFCC did not establish any case against me, I find my needless detention a clear case of witch-hunt and pure political persecution.

“My immediate concern is the denial of my fundamental human rights, excessive physical incarceration and the orchestrated negative media campaign completely skewed against those being investigated.

“Nevertheless, I hereby restate my confidence in the rule of law and the relevant institutions for the resolution of this matter on its merit in the interest of justice,’’ he said.

 

 

(NAN)

PDP Govs Sack Secondus, Appoints New Leader

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The crisis  rocking the national leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has taken a new twist as governors elected on the platform of the party have asked the Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to handover the leadership to the National Secretary, Prof Adewale Oladipo.

The governors also disowned former Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, who stormed the secretariat with his supporters and made himself national chairman.

Acting under the aegis of PDP Governors’ Forum, PDPGF, the governors said the national secretary would oversee the affairs of the party for now in line with its constitution.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the PDPGF meeting, late Wednesday night in Abuja, the governors frowned at the refusal of the acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to honour the judgment of an FCT High Court which last December ordered him to vacate office for any other person from the North-East zone.

Reading the communiqué, Chairman of the forum and governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, said: “We take cognizance of the judgment by the court in Abuja which ordered the acting chairman to vacate office for any other person from the North-East zone of Nigeria.

“Our party’s constitution has enough provisions for that and the necessary process has been put in motion. In recognizance of the judgment the court gave, we call on the national secretary to take over the leadership of the party immediately and that is in line with the provisions of the PDP constitution.

“The decision of the governors came barely some hours after the former Political Adviser to past President Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, stormed the secretariat with his supporters and made himself the national chairman of the party.”

Credit: Vanguard

PDP In Fresh Crisis As National Officers Ask Mohammed, Metuh, Secondus To Step Down

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There appears to be a fresh round of crisis in Nigeria’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, with some elected national officers calling on the acting chairman of the board of trustees, Bello Mohammed and the national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, to step down from their offices.

The call, which was made in a statement signed by four of the national officers, which they also said represented the views of all deputy national officers and some members of the National Executive Committee of the party, was sequel to the ongoing trial of Messrs. Mohammed and Metuh over corruption allegations.

Messrs Metuh and Mohammed are being tried for receiving monies from the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, out of the $2.1 billion meant for arms procurement but which was diverted to political spending.

The statement, made available on Monday, was signed by Dennis Alonge-Niyi, the deputy national youth leader; Bashir Maidugu, the deputy national legal adviser; Okey Nnaedozie, the deputy national organizing secretary and Abdullahi Jalo, the deputy national publicity secretary.

The national officers called on all relevant members and organs of the party to rescue it “from fortune hunters who have hijacked its very soul.”

They said, “We hereby strongly dissociate the Peoples Democratic Party from the ongoing trials of Dr. Bello Halliru Mohammed ( Acting Chairman of Board of Trustees) and Chief Olisa Metuh ( National Publicity Secretary) on various charges anti graft agencies.

“They are said to have received funds using accounts of their private companies without the knowledge and instructions of any organ of the party. All those mentioned in the ongoing corruption trial are, therefore, on their own and the party was not involved financially or in anyway with the office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, or any organ of the federal government in the last regime.

“They must bear full responsibility for their actions and must henceforth refrain from dragging the name of the party into the mud.”

Credit: PremiumTimes

PDP Crisis Deepens As Jonathan’s Ex Aide Urges Court To Sack Secondus

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A former political adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Ali Gulak, has urged a Federal High Court , sitting in Abuja to declare the appointment of the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Chief Uche Secondus, unconstitutional.

Gulak, in an originating summon, prayed the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining Secondus from continuing to act in the Office of the National Chairman of the party or organising or planning any election or carrying out any other functions or duties pertaining to the office.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the PDP and Secondus as first and second respondents.

The plaintiff also sought a declaration that by articles 35(1) and 47 (6) of the constitution of the party, read together with Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the continued functioning of Secondus as acting national chairman of the party, when he is not from the Northeast, was a breach of Article 47(6) of the constitution of the party and Section 223 of the 1999 constitution.

Credit: Nation

APC Plotting To Kill Ekweremadu, Akpabio, Secondus, Others- PDP

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The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the governing All Progressives Congress of trying to assassinate the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu.

Reacting to the assassination attempt claim, the spokesperson for the PDP, Olisa Metuh told reporters Wednesday the alleged attempt on Mr. Ekweremadu’s life was an indication the era of political assassination had returned to Nigeria.

He said the PDP had earlier alerted the nation about threats to the lives of key and outspoken opposition leaders by the APC and its federal government.

“The PDP does not mince words in holding the APC responsible for the Tuesday attempt on the life of the Deputy Senate President,” he said.

Mr. Metuh also said APC leaders had not hidden their bitterness and resentment towards Mr. Ekweremadu, whose offence, he said “is the privilege of being elected as Deputy Senate President, in line with the Standing Rules of the Senate and provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

The PDP spokesperson also recalled that the party had informed Nigerians that key PDP leaders were being trailed and that the government should be held responsible should any of them suddenly become victim of ‘terror attacks’, unexplained accidents, kidnapped or suddenly killed by ‘armed robbers’.

Justifying his argument that the APC was responsible for the attempt on the life of the DSP, Mr. Metuh said it was shocking that “Senator Oluremi Tinubu, in furtherance of their plan to take over the office of the Deputy Senate President, went ahead at plenary today to occupy his seat and attempted to assume the duties associated with that office”.

Mr. Metuh said the PDP had information that beyond Mr. Ekweremadu, the APC had plans to assassinate other notable PDP leaders including the Acting BOT Chairman, Bello Haliru, Acting National Chairman, Uche Secondus National Secretary, Adewale Oladipo and members of the National Working Committee, as well as Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, House Minority leader, Leo Ogoh among others.

Credit: PremiumTimes

We Will Halt Money Bag Politics In PDP- Secondus

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The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has said the present National Working Committee (NWC) of the party is pursuing an agenda to revolutionise the party so that the idea of money-bag politicians dictating things in the party will be eliminated.

Secondus who spoke on Tuesday while receiving the head of International Republican Institute (IRI) in his office at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja, also urged the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, to ensure free and fair conduct of the Kogi and Bayelsa States governorship elections.

Speaking on some of the reforms being introduced in the PDP, Secondus said the era of automatic ticket for aspirants vying for elective positions is over.

“Our intention is to make our primaries zero expensive, so that nobody will induce anybody. My agenda is to revolutionise the party so that the idea of money bag controlling the party will be eliminated. We want every member to participate in the party activities by paying their dues. Through this, we can eliminate the class syndrome and bring the party to the people. The party belong to all and should not be in the hands of few money bag. The party must be returned to the people,” he said.

Credit: ThisDay

Secondus May Step Down In October

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There are strong indications that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may yield to agitations to pick a  substantive national chairman from the North-east to replace Chief Uche Secondus who is presently functioning in acting capacity.

As part of measures to reposition the PDP and refocus its agenda away from the shortcomings of the past, the post-election committee headed by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekwerenmadu, is expected to submit its report on September 23.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, confirmed the date for the submission of the post-election report.

Metuh confirmed in a telephone conversation that the committee would conclude its assignment and submit the report.

Read More: thisdaylive

Come And Join Us, PDP Appeals To Nigerians

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The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has appealed to Nigerians to come and join their party. The acting chairman of the opposition party, Prince Uche Secondus, made the appeal during the inauguration of the PDP E-Membership Registration Committee in Abuja today

“This occasion is significant to us as a party because it is a dream come true. You will recall that the idea of having an electronic membership registration for our party has been in the works for so many years.
In furtherance to this desire, we had refuted a constitutional amendment as reflected in section 8(11) of the PDP constitution and in August 2010, the National Executive Committee approved the policy. I’m appealing to all Nigerians to come and join us. There is room for everybody. Journalists here are also free to join us and become our members.”he said