Secondus raises alarm as APC moves eight govs to lobby NASS over Electoral Act veto

The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Prince Uche Secondus has alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has mandated eight governors to lobby National Assembly Members over their threats to veto the Electoral Amendment Bill.

President Muhammadu Buhari recently withdrew assent to the Bill to amend the Electoral Act which will alter the election sequence. Members of the National Assembly have since resolves to vote the President just as Senators Abdullahi Adamu and Omo Agege have received the wrath of their colleagues due to their inability to support the move.

But Secondus on Monday in Abuja when he addressed members of the PDP Youth leaders from the 36 states including FCT, disclosed that the governors are expected to meet members of the national assembly and discourage them from carrying out their threat which may not be in the interest of the ruling party.

He said that there were instances in the past where NASS members tinkered with the timetable, adding that they are constitutionally empowered to do that. He alerted that the party will resist all attempts from the ruling party to become a clog in the activities of the National Assembly.

He said, “The Executive wants to make laws which is not their area. They want to gag the National Assembly with a military fiat in a democracy. They want to sanction the National Assembly not to make laws.

“They were elected from their various constituencies across this country to make laws for the benefit of the common man and not for the cabal. I urge the APC to allow the National Assembly to make its laws because they were elected to make laws. We are not operating a military dictatorship.

“This is not the first time the National Assembly amended the electoral law. They have done so severally. Why is this case different?

“Eight governors of APC have been constituted to begin to move from door to door of members of National Assembly to cage them not to freely make laws for Nigeria. We reject that move and we insist that the will of Nigerians must be done. The will of Nigerians must prevail.

“Those who are moving from door to door, our governors, ministers, spending the people’s money; are they God?” Secondus queried.

He encouraged the youths to take up active roles in the party, assuring them at no nation can developed without active participation of the youths. He told them that the era of impunity was over and the party has changed its reward system so that any person that delivers his polling unit and ward will be adequately rewarded.

“In any nation of the world where the youths are not participating in the political development, that country is doomed.

“We are coming out with a lot of programmes one of which is Generation Next. This is to prepare the youths for the future leadership of our country and our party.

“The strength of the youth is the strength of the nation and you must take over the leadership of this party. To do this, you must go to the grassroots and mobilise the youths to rescue this country because this country is in crisis” he stated.

The party Chairman stressed that the country has been hijacked by cabal which explains why security chiefs no longer take instructions or obey the President.

“Today, we have several Presidents. That is why the security chiefs can disobey because they don’t know which one to obey.

“You are seeing the confusion in the APC today. They are blaming the IGP and the IGP is blaming them. One arm of the security is blaming the other.

“The reward system of the new rebranded PDP is that you must deliver your poling unit. If you don’t deliver, you will not be recognised.

When you deliver, you will take your rightful place, no discrimination any longer.

In his remarks, the PDP Youth Leader, Sunday Udo-Okoye assured the party of 13 million votes in the 2019 elections. He urged the National Working Committee to liaise with the State executives so that the youths will have seamless access to the organs of the party for grass root mobilisation.