….Leave Secondus Alone; PDP Governors Defected Because Of Your Overbearing Attitude
…Lauds PDP BOT, Governors For Standing Against Wike and Rescuing the party from his Draconian Claws
Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has called out Gov. Nyesom Wike, as the real Jonah onboard the ship of the People’s Democratic Party, absolving the party’s national Chair, Prince Uche Secondus, of any wrong-doing.
In a statement made available to Media Houses in Port Harcourt, the party Chief said there was need to put certain records in proper perspective and inform Nigerians accordingly.
“Categorically, I wish to reiterate that I am neither a fan of Prince Uche Secondus nor a sympathetic observer of the present confused and pitiable state of the PDP, but as a concerned and patriotic Nigerian who has followed and participated in the politics of the party from the fons et origo, I am compelled to put some records straight, particularly as regarding the current rift between Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Prince Uche Secondus, the National Chairman of the umbrella party and also a Rivers man.”
According to him, it is remarkably unfortunate to observe that the People’s Democratic Party has continued to be enmeshed in layers of raging crisis that threaten her existence and throw her off the line of reasonably playing the Chief roles of a responsible opposition to the ruling party and government at the center.
Eze regrets the inability of the People’s Democratic Party and her leaders to effectively take up and play the roles of a good opposition party, wondering why the party has totally snubbed her place, retreating to slumberland.
“For those of us in the All Progressives Congress, we need a virile, focus-driven and strong opposition to tackle and checkmate the activities of public servants and constructively tackle the policies and programs of government that seem not to produce good yields to the people. Not only will that put us on check, it will enable the party and government at the centre give out the best to Nigeria and Nigerians.”
Not withstanding the satanic schemes of Uche Secondus who collaborated with others to plunge Rivers state into her current unbefitting state, the party chief said he vividly recalls the all-important and defining role of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to the rise of Secondus in national politics.
“Amaechi then as Governor of Rivers State had for very valid reasons, challenged the Peoples Democratic Party, over the Appointment of Secondus as a Deputy National Organising Secretary of the party, describing it as unbefitting. His bold stance resulted to the rise of Secondus as the then National Organising Secretary of the PDP and in appreciation, Secondus exclaimed before an audience during a Thanksgiving Service in Andoni that Amaechi is the “Ogbuagu” (Lion Killer) of Nigeria politics, a title Amaechi vehemently declined on the simple ground that Dr. Peter Odili) goes with the sobriquet and it would be disrespectful for him to go by same title with his own boss.”
When it was time to payback good, Secondus conspired with Wike and others to dismantle the leadership of the party in Rivers State headed then by the late Chief G. U. Ake as Chairman. They installed Brother Felix Obuah, who neither contested the position nor participated in any Congress, as the State Chairman, to replace Chief Ake. All these they did with the overbearing influence of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and his wife Patience, in a bid to whittle down the influence of Amaechi in the politics of Rivers State.
Eze highlighted that he is very much aware that the bickering and political hustling of both Governor Wike and Prince Secondus are geared towards producing a Northern Presidential candidate for the PDP in the 2023 elections, but however stated that such scheming is unsupported as it remains inimical to the unity and peaceful coexistence of Nigeria.
The APC stalwart expressed angst over Gov. Wike’s planned-forceful takeover of the party noting that billions of Rivers money has been wasted already and more have been earmarked for his takeover bid, all at the detriment of Rivers people whose common patrimony has again earned the Governor another sobriquet, “Father Christmas”.
Although Wike plans to box Secondus out from office by all means and with Rivers money, the Governor has suddenly forgotten that at the time Secondus was the Chairman of Rivers State PDP, he was a mere Local Government Chairman and can never be more politically conscious than the man we all know as Total Chair.
“All these notwithstanding and coupled with the fact that I and Secondus belong to the Open Heaven Parish of RCCG, Old GRA Port Harcourt, I can not be said to be his fan or supporter, however, seeing the dangerous techniques deployed by Governor Nyesom Wike in his plot to rubbish and decimate the impacts of Prince Uche Secondus in the politics of PDP as well as his acts of sabotage against his mentor and benefactor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, whom he served as Chief of Staff during his reign as Governor of Rivers State, all aimed at ensuring that he (Wike) stands as the only politician in Rivers State, one needs to raise the alarm timeously.”
Today, the major desire of Governor Nyesom Wike in the politics of Rivers State is to ensure that nobody stands politically except him. Those he cannot destroy he cage into what is now addressed as Wike’s Cathedral of spent political forces without any job description but following him to functions and clapping for him. His efforts to destroy the political legacies and personality of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, is in the public domain and his recent to pull down Secondus is trending.
Nobody is disputing the inputs of Wike in mobilising for the election of Prince Uche Secondus as the National Chairman of PDP but to turn around without waiting for the Convention of PDP, to say he has the power to remove a national officer of a party, is not only undemocratic, selfish and devious, but also unfortunate and unacceptable.
Eze reiterated that Governor Nyesom Wike should desist from deploying the scarce funds of Rivers State to fight, and decimate Rivers Political Leaders, just to curry favour for the advancement of his own political fortune.
Civil Servants in Rivers State are gnashing their teeth, no salary; Pensioners are lamenting, no pension, no gratuity; Business owners are crying their eyes out, the Governor is acquiring business areas and demolishing; market women are counting their loses on daily basis, they cannot afford not to sell on credit because workers are broke and in all these, Father Christmas, POS Africa or whatever name he goes by, cannot just stop lavishing Rivers money on trivial things.
The party Chief however commended the PDP BOT members and Governors for standing against the devious plots to disgrace Secondus out of office as National Chairman and urged them to endeavor to sustain the unity of the party, stressing that the All Progressives Congress is begging for a vibrant and virile opposition to contribute and criticize constructively towards national good.
Speaking on the movement of PDP Governors to the APC, Chief Eze counseled the BOT members and other stakeholders of the party to critically and carefully investigate inwards the root causes of why the Governors and other key members of the party are moving over to APC.
He urged the PDP to beam her light brighter, assuring that they must discover Wike as the root cause of the woes of the party and he has instigated more people to leave the PDP before the end of 2021.
The party can only know peace when Gov. Wike learns how to respect his colleagues and desist from handling issues pertaining to the party as personal, as no one man own the party.
“Let me conclude by quoting one of the Rivers State sound minds and enfant terribles who resides in the United Kingdom, Mr. Kingsley Kem Eben who stated and I quote, “Chief Eze, I pity Wike that he underrated Secondus that the man knows how to play party politics, the only option he has is shouting like a town CRIER whilst Secondus is busy rallying those that matter under him for safety. Wike should be very careful with Secondus otherwise he will end up not having any platform or party for his Rivers Governorship candidate in 2023. It’s unfortunate Rivers Treasury is being wasted to fight and remove our own son to take over PDP. And this present RSHA is the worst representatives that can happen to the state or any state in a democracy. Rivers People are in trouble for the remaining two years not knowing what will be left of our treasury if at all any. God help us.”
Let me conclude finally by urging us all to use our tongue to count our teeth and rally round and save Rivers State come 2023.
Ends
Signed
Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze,
APC Chieftain & former National Publicity Secretary, nPDP
17 – 08– 21
