PDP NEC passes vote of confidence on Secondus — despite Wike’s complaints

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national executive committee (NEC) has passed a vote of confidence on the party’s leadership under Uche Secondus.

The NEC endorsed the national working committee (NWC) led by Secondus at its emergency meeting in Abuja on Thursday.

It also alerted members of the party of “agents of distraction and division.”

It wrote via its Twitter handle: “The PDP NEC unanimously passes vote of confidence on the Secondust-led NWC of our great party and urges members to be wary of agents of distraction and division.”

Breaking News: The @OfficialPDPNig NEC unanimously passes vote of confidence on the @UcheSecondus led NWC of our great party and urges members to be wary of agents of distraction and division. pic.twitter.com/GzVkhTAHBz

— Official PDP Nigeria (@OfficialPDPNig) April 29, 2021

Secondus was endorsed despite the earlier criticism by Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, that he was ruining the party’s chances of winning the 2023 presidential election.

Wike, who played an active role in Secondus’ emergence as PDP chairman, had said the current NWC was “sowing the seed of discord” among governors in the party.

He had said: “If you ask me, are Nigerians waiting for a change? Yes. If you ask me as a member of PDP, I am ready to support PDP to takeover, yes. But, if you ask me currently as it is, is the leadership of the party willing for us to harvest this opportunity for a change? I will say no.

“The present National Working Committee is not interested or doing anything to take over the realms of government in 2023. When your interest is to remain in power, you are no longer interested to win election.”

His outburst at the time was believed to be connected to his plans for the emergence of Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto state, as the PDP presidential flagbearer in 2023 so that he can be his running mate after the expiration of his second term as governor.

He had endorsed the Sokoto governor when he sought the PDP presidential ticket in 2023, which was eventually won by Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president.

Moreover, the governor is believed to provide huge financial support to the party — second only to Abubakar.