By ABUBAKAR YUSUF

In the last one year, for no reason, Nigerians of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supports have bandied all sorts of allegations against the PDP national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus; from accusations of anti-party activities to corruption, to high handedness and, lately, perpetuating himself in office as the national chairman, in his attempt to seek a second term. All without being substantiated, but only for mere political vendetta geared towards settling either old political scores or contemplating a new one.

But in all these, he remained focused, undaunted, unperturbed, workaholic and proactive to the conviction of the top party echelon that consists of the NEC, BOT, NWC, both serving and former PDP governors, former ministers of PDP extraction and top-notches of the party in and around the country, with a judgment of vindication after many hours and days of brainstorming for a way forward, for the main opposition party.

All the gimmicks were at the background of seeing the Prince from Rivers State sacked as National Chairman as it is “business as usual” with political parties, both ruling and in opposition.

But, Prince Uche Secondus maintained his momentum that the ingredients of politics are collective bargaining through a democratic process, and not adopting a military fiat under the guise of commiseration and unholy connivances.

His insistence that democratic norms must be exhibited and seen to be sustained in this dispensation was a departure from the old way and order of doing things in PDP; but another major chapter that had prepared the main opposition party battle-ready to wrestle Nigerians from the doldrums of political opportunists.

Secondus has come, seen and conquered in quest for democratic advancement of the Nigerian polity with the vote of confidence passed on him by the top party organs. No doubt, to the public’s knowledge, he remained the best thing to have happened to our quest for a sustained democratic practice, using the main opposition party, PDP as springboard.

This win-win situation, according to civilian parlance, and “no victor, no vanquished” – as Gen Yakubu Gowon described his terms adopted after the Nigerian civil war – has a lot of undertones as an ingredient of amicable resolution.

But the underlining facts remained on the side of a winner, with conviction that a race or movement was initiated has become a norm.

With the wealth of experience of the PDP national chairman, since 1999 as a card-carrying member of PDP, having acted in various capacities, including the national chairman of PDP and later as the “Unity list” national chairman of PDP in 2017 along with his executive, he has opened up a new chapter of doing things in a civilised and generally acceptable ways; not only to political parties but the Nigerian polity.

His demonstration of political will and temerity that had threatened the ruling party in the last four years to its foundation is enough impetus to reward diligence, hard work, determination and goal-getting tendencies of the PDP National Chairman.

Many Nigerians are not unaware, not only the PDP members, that history was made that in a free and fair poll in 2019 when PDP under Secondus won many states of the federation beyond the current contemplations, despite the desperate tendencies of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

That is not all. Secondus has laid a solid foundation, not minding the current tactics of harassing PDP governors to join APC in soul but not in spirit, in the last few months, Nigerians have already made up their minds to pitch tent with the main opposition party in 2023, through the efforts of the current PDP leadership in the last few years.

This is what the PDP current national leaders intend to achieve before the current distractions that was resolved to allow the party move forward.

The truth of the matter remains that history will vindicate Prince Secondus whose leadership has challenged the ruling party and the current administration in its various anti-people policies.

It is only under Secondus that Nigerians witnessed protests to embassies, National Assembly, and public protests against unfavorable policies of government and day-light electoral fraud. This alone has helped to maintain the momentum of democratic practice and norm.

The fact remains that a masquerade is meant to dance to the admiration of the general public, a stride the PDP leadership had achieved in the last four years.

Playing down all grammatical jargons, Secondus has won a major milestone for Nigeria’s democratic advancement and a solid foundation for the evolution of democracy.

He ran and won the race even as undemocratic tendencies witnessed in the polity many years ago – through removal of party leadership – is now redressed to the pride of many Nigerians.

PDP remained the flagship of Nigeria’s democracy, with the current PDP Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, as the hero in all ramifications as he remained the “victor.”

*Abubakar Yusuf, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja.

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