Despite Umahi’s defection, PDP remains strong in South-East —Secondus

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, said on Thursday the defection of Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi would not affect the party in the state and entire South-East.

Umahi officially dumped the PDP for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday.

But speaking at the party’s 90th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, Secondus said the party’s strength in Ebonyi and the South-East was still intact despite the development.

He said: “You must have read the eventual defection of PDP governor in Ebonyi State, His Excellency Dave Umahi to the ruling APC on Tuesday and his provocative allegations of injustice against the South-East by the party.

“We have refused to join issues with him in any way but we cannot bow to any blackmail. What I can report to NEC is that the strength of our party in Ebonyi State and South-East is intact and the NWC has taken necessary steps to protect and guard it.

“The real season that informed this decision will soon be exposed.”

The PDP chairman also slammed President Muhammadu Buhari over the worsening insecurity in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Remark on Umahi’s switch to APC exposed Buhari’s incompetence – PDP

He blamed the insecurity and other challenges in the country on “poor governance.”

Secondus added: “Great leaders of our party, before the COVID-19 lockdown, our country was already going through some socio-political and economic challenges all arising from the poor governance delivery by the ruling APC.

“The security problem of the country has refused to abate, instead, it has multiplied with no clear solution in sight.

“President Muhammadu Buhari- led APC government, under whose watch the situation got worst and complicated has remained clearly helpless and incapable of providing the needed leadership.”

He also also expressed concern over the perceived growing human rights abuses in the country, most recently, the actions of the government on the recent #EndSARS protests.

“The consequences of all these came to the fore when the youths, last month, poured out their anger on the country through a nationwide protest.

“Even though the protest was triggered off by accumulated police brutality, particularly by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), it developed into a wider rebellion against injustice and poor leadership in the country,” he concluded.

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