Two govs, ex-minister, senator to dump PDP – Afegbua

By Success Nwogu

A former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Kassim Afegbua, has raised the alarm that the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, and his Abia State counterpart, Okezie Ikpeazu; a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and a former Senator representing Adamawa South Senatorial Constituency, Senator Grace Folashade Bent, would soon dump the PDP.

In a statement made available on Monday, he also lamented that the PDP had lost two serving Governors while, according to him, others are in the queue to exit the party.

The Ebonyi State, Governor Chief Dave Umahi and his Cross River State counterpart, Prof. Ben Ayade had defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress.

Afegbua said, “I have reiterated the fact that the present leadership of thePDP, under Prince Uche Secondus has outlived its usefulness and therefore deserves to be shown the exit door or voluntarily resign.

I had predicted in the course of my interrogation of the leadership that Governors Ayade, Mutawalle, and Ikpeazu would soon exit the party, as well as Fani-Kayode and Senator Grace Bent, simply because the Secondus leadership is bereft of ideas and lacks the capacity to lead a virile opposition.

Under his phlegmatic leadership, the PDP has lost two serving Governors while others are in the queue to exit the party. Uche Secondus is killing the party day by day because he does not have what it takes to pilot the affairs of the opposition.

“Right before our very eyes, we have lost two former Speakers, Yakubu Dogara and Dimeji Bankole. Former Governor Gbenga Daniel has left, David Umahi and Ben Ayade have both left, making the party vulnerable to the average Nigerian mind.

The stakeholders of the party should move beyond mere meetings to push away Secondus as a way to re-ignite, reboot and rejig the party for more constructive engagements that would reposition the party ahead of the 2023 elections.

“The Governors Forum, the Board of Trustees and the National Executive Committee must take a deliberate step to arrest the present drift of the party in the hands of a man who has no capacity to lead a 21st century opposition party like PDP.”

Afegbua, who is a former but had been expelled by the Edo State chapter of the party faulted his alleged expulsion.

It could be recalled that the Chairman of the Edo State chapter of the PDP, Tony Aziegbemi in a letter to Secondus, had announced the party’s suspension of Afegbua for allegedly failing to honour the party’s disciplinary committee to exonerate himself of allegations of anti-party activities.

Aziegbemi wrote: “Mr. Kassim Afegbua as a member of the PDP, hitherto engaged in series of anti-party activities in his ward before and during Edo State gubernatorial election of September 19, 2020.

All attempts by his ward, local government area and state disciplinary committees to secure his attendance at various meetings to clear himself of all allegations proved abortive.

“I hereby forward herewith to you the expulsion of Mr. Kassim Afegbua as unanimously affirmed by the state disciplinary committee of our party in Edo State.

But Afegbua denied being invited by the PDP to clear his name of any allegations.

The former commissioner had dragged Secondus before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged financial impropriety.

But Secondus’ media aide, Mr. Ike Abonyi, in a reply to Afegbua’s accusations against the PDP National Chairman said, “It is not everybody that deserves a response.”

On Afegbua’s expulsion, Abonyi said, “Talk to Edo State PDP, they dont expel people in Abuja.”

Efforts to get the PDP responses to Afegbua’s outcry proved abortive as the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan did not respond as of the time of filing the report.