Reps minority leader counters colleagues on demand for Secondus’ resignation

Ndudi Elumelu, the minority leader of the house of representatives, has countered the demand for the resignation of Uche Secondus as chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

TheCable reported that the party’s caucus in the lower legislative chamber had asked Secondus to resign his position “immediately”.

According to a statement jointly signed by Kingsley Chinda and Chukwuka Onyema, PDP caucus leader and deputy leader respectively, the resolution was reached at an online meeting.

The lawmakers had accused Secondus of “lax and bedroom managerial attitude” which has resulted in the “mass exit of party members”.

But in a statement issued on Monday, Elumelu said the online meeting is a “breach of established procedure”.

“The attention of the Minority Caucus, particularly members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives, have been drawn to news reports purporting to be the intervention and outcome of an online meeting of the PDP Caucus in the House regarding the current leadership challenge within the party,” the statement reads.

“If such a meeting held, it was without the knowledge of the leadership of the Minority Caucus, and therefore in breach of established procedure.”

Elumelu asked members of the PDP in the green chamber to “exercise caution and patience”, adding that the different organs of the party are working to resolve the challenges confronting the PDP.

The PDP is embroiled in a leadership crisis, which has resulted in some stakeholders leaving the opposition party.

TheCable had reported that seven deputy national officers of the party resigned last week in protest against what they called “poor leadership”.

Subsequently, some members of the national working committee (NWC) threatened to resign if the leadership crisis is not resolved soon.