NEWS
The Bone of Contention Between Wike, Secondus
By Jude Opara
In the main opposition-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the saying that in politics there are no permanent friends but only permanent interest is clearly playing out given the seeming breakdown of the once rosy relationship between the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state.
Interestingly, both men are from the same Rivers and equally of the same Igbo speaking extraction.
It is also on record that during the party’s convention in 2017, Wike who had become very influential in the party put his feet down to ensure that Secondus emerged ahead of Prof. Tunde Adeniran from the South-West.The argument proffered then by Wike’s acolytes was that with five states of the South-South region controlled by the PDP while the entire South-West apart from Ekiti state were then controlled by the All Progressives Congress (APC), it was only logical for the region where the party had its backbone to produce the National Chairman.
But the question now is what has gone wrong? Why has the two allies suddenly turned political foes? It is understandable that contestations and rivalries are part of the ingredients easily found in any political party.
Prince Secondus officially has only till December 9 to hold his position because the PDP is billed to have its National Convention on that very day. Many analysts have wondered why the sudden move to get him out of office with barely four month to end of his tenure.
It must be stated that the PDP right from inception has the unenviable tradition of shoving their National Chairmen out of office before the end of their tenure. While some were forced to resign, others were summarily shown the exit door by the party.
Some analysts have argued that what made it possible for the PDP to do away with their chairmen then was because they were the party in power with the ability to mobilize the needed opposition to do what they want to do and stabilize. But as an opposition party the idea may become counterproductive because Secondus also has his own band of supporters who may have the ability to withstand the pressure from the members who are calling for his head.
According to sources, the bone of contention between Wike and Secondus is about who gets what position in 2023. While the speculation is high that Governor Wike is angling to pair with his friend and colleague in Sokoto State, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal to run for the presidency, Secondus on the other hand is also said to be eying to replace Wike at the Bricks House in Port Harcourt.
Wike is widely believed to have decided to hand over power to somebody from the waterside part of the state, either the Ogonis or the kalabaris. He is said to have felt a moral burden to let power rotate to the other parts of the state instead of his Ikwere side. Since 1999, most of the governors of the state are from the same part including Dr. Peter Odili, Celestine Omehia, Chibuike Amaechi are all from the same side also known as upland.
Another school of thought believes that with his anticipated presidential ambition, Wike wants to stop Secondus from getting a second term because there is no way the same state or even zone that produces the National Chairman will again produce the presidential candidate of the party.
However, last week we saw the members of Board of Trustees (BoT) and the Concerned PDP elders led by David Mark moving to arrest the crisis.
But like what is usually applicable with politicians, that effort seems not to have yielded much because it is still not yet respite for the embattled National Chairman.
On Monday, a group under aegis of the PDP Youths protested at the national secretariat of the PDP in Abuja. The protesters were carrying placards bearing different inscriptions like: ‘Secondus must go; Secondus is a tax collector; Secondus is a mole planted to destroy the PDP’ amongst many others.
Interestingly, the same day the governors elected on the platform of the PDP were in a crisis meeting in Abuja. The meeting which held at the residence of the Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel lasted into the night. Though, the meeting was inconclusive, it was gathered that even the governors were divided along their different interest lines.
While, those who want to see the back of the embattled National Chairman canvassed for his resignation, the others who wither were indifferent or not favourable argued that the man should be allowed to see off his tenure which ends on December 9, 2021. Those who want Secondus to stay put believe such could save the party another round of self-induced crisis which may bigger than having him in office.
For instance, there is the apprehension that forcing secondus out may result in litigations and they believe that given the fact that the All Progressives Congress (APC) who will be happy to have the main opposition in crisis will use everything within their control to worsen the crisis.
There is equally another school of thought who believes that the whole idea of the call for his exit is a way of foreclosing any dream by Secondus to re-contest during the forthcoming convention in December. The idea is that with the barrage of opposition to his stay in office, a second term dream will be pipe dream.
The opposition to the continuous stay in office of Secondus has continued to mount with a group of members of the House of Representatives coming out to join in the call for the exit of the Chairman.
But the embattled Chairman seems to have a shoulder to lean on as it appears the state chairmen are solidly behind him. One of such vocal supporters is Francis Orogu, the Chairman of the party in Nasarawa state who has come out to demand why Secondus was being singled out for persecution.
Speaking on a television programme monitored in Abuja, Orogu wondered why those claiming that Secondus has failed are not also calling for the head of the entire NWC and even the BoT. He further posited that there is more to the sudden castigation of the Chairman than meets the eyes.
Interestingly, the man at the centre of it all, Uche Secondus stunned or do I say must have angered his traducers when he on Monday declared that he was not going to resign. He challenged those asking him to hang himself to show him the part of the party’s constitution that empowers them to ask him to quit.
However, there is a mid-way approach which party sources say may likely be the decider. The governors and the elders and other critical stakeholders may have settled that while Secondus retains his seat, the National Convention which was supposed to take place about December 9, 2021 may be brought forward. This is to make it easier for everyone concerned to retain some pride that they have succeeded in taking something away.
Also, it is believed that Secondus will not contest the election whenever it will hold. If that happens, it also means that those who suddenly rose against him may have scored another goal because there are talks in certain quarters that the main reason behind the onslaught against the Chairman is to ensure that he becomes very unmarketable when the Convention holds.
Of course, with the barrage of criticism that has trailed his handling of party affairs, whether rightly or wrongly, it will be a hard sell because who want him out will certainly not go to bed. In fact they will intensify their effort and indeed it will be foolhardy for Secondus to waste his time and resources to purchase the expression of interest form.
People like Governor Wike who are allegedly leading the onslaught against Secondus will be ready to break the banks to ensure that he does not smell that seat a second time. In fact surviving this attack if it happens is a huge plus for him.
Nevertheless, no matter what happens, this typical of the PDP, they know how to kick their Chairman out even with ignominy. In fact some analysts believe that Secondus lasted this far probably because the party is now in opposition and may not have much patronage like the party in control of the federal government.
After the Secondus debacle, it is still to be seen when and where the next battle will be coming from.
Chief Bode George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has urged President Bola Tinubu to reduce the price of petrol to N300 per litre ,to make things easy for Nigerians during the festive season.
George, the Atona Oodua of Yorubaland, made this plea at an interactive session with newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos.
The price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, is currently above N1,000 per litre.
According to the elder statesman,Nigerians are going through hardship, the President should give an order to reduce fuel price, specifying time frame the people will enjoy such window of relief.
He said that the federal government as well as well- meaning individuals and businesses could bear the cost of such price slash , to bring happiness to all Nigerians.
The PDP leader, who noted that December and January are special months , said that such gesture could start from the middle of December and run through January.
“I have been thinking, as a Nigerian, what can we do because the anger and the hunger are almost equal on the streets of Nigeria.
“What am I suggesting is that Mr President should sit down with his managers and give an order that from the middle of December to the end of January, the cost of petrol will be N300 per litre.
“The government can absorb the losses in the interest of the suffering people.
“If they (government) want others to contribute, let us know how much that is going to cost and ask people to donate, to bear the cost.
“We will be sending a lot of messages of happiness across the tribes and homes.
“Everybody in Nigeria will be happy because it will positively impact on this period of the year. It is a challenge and he (Tinubu) can do it.
“We need this in this December and January to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians, ” George, a PDP Board of Trustees (BOT) life member, said.
Advising the President to take further measures to bring relief to the people, he said that the gesture would crash prices of essential commodities and services for the benefit of all .
He said that government’s efforts should be concentrated on reducing high inflation rate, unemployment, poverty and youth restlessness in order to create a better future for Nigerians
Speaking on the recent presidential election in Ghana, George noted that Nigeria’s electoral system needed reforms to guard against electoral frauds and manipulations.
According to him, the nation will continue to grope for development if the system fails to encourage best candidates to emerge.
Stating that election must reflect the wishes of the people and be devoid of religious and tribal sentiments, George said that Ghana election should be a wake up call for Nigeria.
“INEC performance must improve. The commission must make sure that the voice of the people is heard in elections.
“Electoral offenders should be made to face the music and sent to jail. We must be very firm about due process, credibility and transparency in elections,” he said.
Urging the President to revisit resolutions in the 2014 Constitutional Conference, George said that the current constitution was not federal in principle and practice.
“We should not deceive ourselves, the constitution is a problem. It is a military constitution, it is not democratic,” he said.
George called on the National Assembly to ensure devolution of powers and electoral reforms that would do away with manual collation of election results and mandate electronic transmission of election results from polling units.
George disagreed with political watchers saying no vacancy in presidency in 2027.
On the dwindling strength of the former ruling party, George, who noted that all organisations had its ups and downs, said that selfish interests and disregard for party rules remained PDP’s major challenge.
He said that PDP could bounce back and win presidential election if the leadership decided to elevate national interest above selfish interests and adhere to the party’s constitution.
“We will tell ourselves some serious old truth. We messed ourselves up. ” he said.
Stating, however, that the PDP was not dead, George said that lack of justice, equity, fairness and the inability to adhere to the party’s zoning and rotational principle cost the party victory in 2023.
Calling on the party’s founding fathers alive to wake up and rescue the party, George said that Nigerians were still waiting for the former ruling party to take over power and put things right. (NAN)
President Bola Tinubu, is set to perform the groundbreaking of 2,000 housing units of the Renewed Hope City in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos, in the next few weeks.
Mr Ahmed Dangiwa, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, announced this during an official assessment visit, on Wednesday in Lagos
Dangiwa said Lagos would represent the South-west, while the president would do that of the North-West in Kano, before doing that of the four other regions.
“Arrangements is already on ground, we have gotten sites, and work has commenced for 2000 houses in the Renewed Hope City that we intend to build in Ibeju-Lekki,” he said.
Towards achieving the set goal, the minister said the visiting team also paid a courtesy visit to Gov.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu to discuss area of collaboration between the federal and state governments.He disclosed that the federal and Lagos state governments had agreed to set up a Tripartite committee and ensure all the issues of concerns between the parties were resolved amicably for the benefit of all.
Earlier, the Minister embarked on an assessment visit of deplorable Federal Government buildings and assets across Lagos state in a bid to commence rehabilitation on them in a few months.
Dangiwa said the rehabilitation was necessary as the deplorable buildings posed a challenge and security concerns to the Lagos state government. (NAN)
Gov. Hyacinth Alia on Wednesday presented the sum of N550.1bn as the 2025 appropriation bill to the Benue State House of Assembly for consideration and passage into law.
Alia told the lawmakers that out of the total budget size, N175.4 billion is for recurrent expenditure while the N374.
7 billion is for capital expenditure.The governor said that the total estimate represented a 47.
5 per cent increment over the 2024 revised and approved figure of N373 billion.He stated that the appropriation bill tagged “Budget of Human Capital Development, Food Security, and Digital Economy” was to consolidate the gains made in 2024.
Alia further explained that the proposed recurrent expenditure of N175.
4 billion was 13.55 per cent higher than the previous year.According to him, budgeted capital expenditure of N374.7 billion represents a 71.5 per cent increment on the 2024 revised capital expenditure.
“The budget breakdown indicated that the sum of N212.2 billion, representing 38.52 per cent is for administration; N196.6 billion, representing 35.68 per cent is for the economy; law and justice will take N26.6 billion, representing 4.84 per cent while social welfare will gulp N115.5 billion, representing 20.96 per cent.
“We have the vision. We have the will. And most importantly, we have the people ready to work alongside us to turn this vision into reality.
“Together, we will build a state where every citizen has the opportunity to succeed, where food is plentiful, and where the digital economy opens new frontiers of opportunity for all,” he said.
The governor said the intention of the government was to stay within the limits of its recurring revenue to build the state without accruing unnecessary debts for generations unborn.
He, however, said that since the 2025 budget was a deficit one, it proposed a borrowing plan of a conservative sum of N26bn, representing a modest 4.7 per cent of the proposed aggregate expenditure for 2025.
“This is lower than the state’s debt-to-GDP ratio of 8.2 per cent which is within the benchmark of the 25 per cent debt sustainability threshold.
“Despite these favourable debt ratios, I want to reiterate that borrowing will only be considered as a last resort and for regenerative investment purposes,” he added.
Alia stated that the problem of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) remained a challenge, adding that they have reasonably improved their living conditions.
He said the Bureau of International Cooperation and Development has elicited substantial grants from donors, totalling N85bn. (NAN)
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