Secondus: PDP now ‘ruling party in-waiting’

By Dianabasi Effiong/Port Harcourt

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, Prince Uche Secondus on Saturday enumerated the party’s ‘success stories’ since 2015, and declared that it has graduated from being an opposition into a ‘ruling party in-waiting’.

Secondus made the claim in an address at the opening of the PDP 2018 Special National Convention which he also declared open on Saturday in Port Harcourt.

Secondus, who expressed pleasure in welcoming members from all over Nigeria to Port Harcourt, said that the subject of this year’s national convention was: “Nigerians Take Back Your Country’’.

The party boss also boasted that “today PDP is now in control of the leadership of the National Assembly, adding that “the convention is a crucial stage in PDP’s “ unstoppable march to regain power’’.

He said that the selection of aspirants for the convention was done through Indirect Primaries, adding that the convention would be orderly, fair and transparent.

He said the party was determined to organise a convention that would remain a reference point for other parties

He also recalled that the party gathered in Jos, Plateau, about 20 years ago for a similar convention to herald a new democracy in Nigeria.

Secondus said the party started the Contributory Pension Scheme and reformed the Electoral Process, among others.

Secondus, who said the party members had “Indeed learnt our lessons’’, added that the PDP had “graduated from an opposition party in 2015 to a ruling party in waiting’’ in 2018.

He also assured that the party would ensure Nigeria’s unity, secure Nigerians, educate our youths, reduce poverty, return Nigeria to the path of economic growth and run an inclusive government if it wins the presidential poll in 2019.

“The choice you make today will go a long way to rescue our nation from the APC governance,’’ he said.

In his address, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, the Chairman of the Convention Planning Committee also assured that the electoral process would be transparent.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the convention which was declared open at about 8.38 p.m, was watched by Prof. Anthonia Sibine, a representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)