By NASS Can Rescue Nigeria – PDP Chair, Uche Secondus Tells Lawmakers At Strategic Political Meeting With Caucus
By, Uchechukwu Ugboaja
The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Uche Secondus on Tuesday stated that the National Assembly as an institution have the constitutional mechanisms and strategy to rescue Nigeria from the current social, economic and political challenges.
According to Secondus, “the amendment of the electoral act must be sustained because the APC no longer have any majority in the National Assembly what they currently have is an artificial majority, so I will therefore urge our PDP legislators to take advantage of this situation to rescue Nigeria now as most Nigerians are suffering from the maladministration of the ruling party in government.”
He stated this during the first visit of the National Working Committee (NWC) to the PDP Senate and House of Representatives Caucus. Chief Secondus who led the NWC delegation said, “We embarked on this visit with the view to thank and appreciate the PDP members in both chambers for their unrelenting support to the newly elected party NWC executive members and most importantly to remind every PDP legislator of the critical role of the Parliament in our democracy considering the current state of Nigeria under the abysmal leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), because the need to rescue Nigeria is even becoming more urgent every passing day as the 2019 general elections draws nearer.”
He further reiterated his desire to restore the lost glory of the party which lost the 2015 general elections when he said that, “I have the backing of our spiritual leaders from both faiths, the majority of delegates who with their votes during the recent elective convention of our party bestowed confidence in me and members of the NWC, so I assure you that with the support of the National Assembly caucus we are going to replace APC come 2019.
“The National Assembly has to carry the message to rescue the country from imminent disaster as we are literally sitting on a keg of gunpowder which if nothing is done urgently may explode and destroy what we have all collectively worked for as a nation. The National Assembly remains at the heart of whatever is going on in this government, Nigerians have seen what they never bargained for in 2015 and have compared the state of things from where they were to where they expect to be today and are totally disappointed, because the APC have failed to deliver on any of their promises.
“It is time to give back the message of hope to the youth that the future is theirs and it is now. The will of the people must prevail regardless of whatever they plan to do ahead of 2019,” he said.
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu in his remarks thanked the Party Chairman for taking such a step in recognizing the role of the parliament. He also took a swipe at the APC led federal government for failing in one of its fundamental social responsibilities which is the protection of lives and properties as herdsmen continue their rampage in various parts of the country especially in Benue and Taraba lingers.
He claimed that by virtue of being a principal officer in the National Assembly, he is aware that majority of the legislators regardless of party affiliation are very eager to reposition the government and by extension the nation for the benefit of all Nigerians.
Senator Ekwerenmadu while encouraging the party chairman and the NWC who are being elected at a very trying time in the history of Nigeria where people are being killed in an unprecedented scale; asked him to remain steadfast while providing the necessary leadership for the party that will enable the PDP wrestle power from the APC come 2019.
He however, requested members to observe a minute of silence in honour of the departed souls lost in various attacks across the country by suspected herdsmen.
Ekweremadu said, “In providing quality direction for our great party the PDP ahead of 2019 general elections the party Chairman and the NWC must always take cognisance of the magnitude of jobs lost in Nigeria since the inception of this government and therefore ensure that the party is strategically repositioned to correct this anomalies as 2019 approaches.”
The Senate Minority Leader and former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio stated that Nigerians are eagerly waiting for the PDP to take over in 2019 considering the calibre of men and women in the National Assembly.
“We are not unmindful of our role as members of the National Assembly and so we will surely continue to demand for a better deal for Nigerians either through our ‘Common Sense’ Senator Ben Murray Bruce in the Senate or the ‘Voice of Reason’ of Hon. Linda Ukeje in the House of Reps. so we will continue to provide Nigerians with better alternatives to the current state of despondency under the APC government.
“Most of our friends across the ruling party have admitted that their government is in shambles as a result of a broken party but they are afraid to talk, however for us in the PDP caucus we will remain unrelenting because our constituents deserve a better deal,” Akpabio said.
