Being the address of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, at the Emergency Meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) held today, Thursday, April 29, 2021 at the Wadata Plaza, Abuja

Protocol.

I welcome you leaders of our great party to this very important emergency meeting of our party’s NEC.

Preamble:

We have deemed it absolutely necessary to call this meeting to enable the party meet up with some statutory matters as it relates to the November 6, 2021 governorship election in Anambra state. And also for NEC to act on the frightening developments in our country that requires that critical stakeholders like us should go beyond the rhetorics and reactions of the National Working Committee (NWC) on national issues, to deliberate and act on the situation.

Our country today is grounded by insecurity and there has been no matching response from government despite the demands of the 1999 operating constitution in section 14 sub section (2b) that “the welfare and security of the citizens shall be the primary purpose of government”.

Terrorists in the North before were confided to the North East region but today 50 villages have been reportedly taken by them in North Central state of Niger. Where they are now, we hear is about two hours’ drive away from Abuja. Herdsmen are also menacing in the West, Gunmen causing havoc in the East and the militants in the South all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad, Nigerians all over are living in fear.

Your Excellencies, the deplorable security situation in our country is already saturating the local and international media space that I need not bore you again.

But In one single day alone, the following incidences happened:

* Bandits kill DPO, eight policemen and two vigilantes in Kebbi state

* Nineteen people killed in Igbariam Anambra state

* Abductors kill two students of Greenfield University in Kaduna State

* Hoodlums attack Lagos state university and destroy several vehicles

* Gunmen kill nine persons around Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University

* Gunmen attack soldiers at Amasiri, Ebonyi state

* The police Area Command in Okigwe South was attacked today, burnt and five policemen killed

* Boko Haram hoists flag in Kaure, Niger state

* Boko Haram kills an officer and some soldiers in Mainok

* Gunmen kidnap hotel owner, his wife, three children, five guests and a staff

* Terrorists take charge of Borno's ungoverned spaces and highways

* Gunshots everywhere in Ama Hausa and Douglas Road Owerri

* Another security formation attacked in Rivers state, soldiers feared Killed

Travel guide recently released by the United States for their touring citizens based on their intelligence gathering listed 14 states that they should avoid for security reasons.

Kano state government just announced the closure of schools in the state due to security threat. Fear of attack has clearly frustrated schooling system in the North West.

The record of student abduction in Kaduna states alone has been unprecedented. Hardly a day passes without incident of killing, kidnapping etc in the state. This is notwithstanding the high concentration of security operatives.

Your Excellencies, leaders of our great party, the picture out there is worse than I have even painted because there are other many unreported cases. The banditry and herdsmen menace are taking huge tolls on our food production as farmers avoid their farms to be alive.

Clearly, anarchy is being let loose on the people with the government unable to provide any resistance. We have therefore invited you to enable the party as the main opposition in the country add its voice to the worrisome situation with a view to saving not just democracy but even the country.

Having shown clearly its incapacity, the APC led-government has swallowed its pride and now invited international community to come and help out. This ought to have been done long ago instead of pretending and spilling innocent blood.

For us as opposition, any sacrifice to stop the endless bloodletting of innocent citizens should be activated including but not limited to immediate convocation of National Conference on security for a comprehensive and all-embracing deliberations on the future of this country.

All the ‘noise’ for 2023 will amount to naught if the security challenges are not drastically addressed.

Your Excellencies, leaders of our party, I therefore invite NEC to note on this very critical matter with a view to offering the necessary advice to the government at all levels for prompt solution.

This has become necessary as nothing, not even 2023 is realistic if security issues are not adequately addressed.

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