The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives under the leadership of Hon Ndudi Elumelu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday, cautioned the National Chairman of the Party, Prince Uche Secondus, against further instigating his aides to insult the loyal members of the Party.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, by Barrister Oyorima Idahosa, Special Adviser to the Minority Leader on Legal Matters, the Caucus expressed shock over comments credited to Prince Secondus wherein he allegedly made “very unpleasant statements against loyal members of the PDP”.
The Caucus while accusing Secondus of fueling disunity in the Party, urged Secondus to refrain from further encouraging his aides from making unguarded statements on critical issues concerning the Party.
The Caucus indeed expressed surprise that “at a time other leaders and critical stakeholders of the PDP are working hard for solutions to move the party forward, the National Chairman is rather detailing his aides to castigate party member and make unguarded comments on critical party matters.”
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The Caucus, however, pledged its continued loyalty to the Party despite all the distractions.
According to the statement, ” the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives is shocked at the comments in a media interview credited to the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, wherein he, in spite of his position, made very unpleasant statements against loyal members of the PDP.
“The caucus is indeed surprised that at a time other leaders and critical stakeholders of the PDP are working hard for solutions to move the party forward, the National Chairman is rather detailing his aides to castigate party member and make unguarded comments on critical party matters.
“This is indeed the first time, since 1999, an aide of the National Chairman of the PDP or any political party for that matter, has ever insulted or castigated an elected member of the National Assembly; and for no reason.
“While the PDP members in the Caucus, as loyal and dedicated members of the party, will not join issues with the person of the National Chairman, he is however urged, as a leader, to be more circumspect in the manner he addresses issues relating to the party and her members in the media.
“It is even more saddening that at this time other leaders of our party are concerting efforts to ensure our victory at the Kogi and Bayelsa Governorship elections, those vested with piloting the affairs of our party are more interested in creating distractions and division within our fold.
“Indeed such comments by the National Chairman, at a time like this, further inflames apprehensions that he is acting on the behest of certain external forces who are pursuing personal interests at the expense of our party’s unity.
“If the National Chairman needed to be in the media on the issue of the Minority Leadership in the House of Representatives, such opportunity should have been used to explain why the National Working Committee (NWC), which he chairs, has failed to act on the report of the three committees set up by the party to investigate this and other issues relating to the National Assembly.
“Nevertheless, the Minority leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, and his colleagues remain loyal and dedicated members of the PDP and, once again, urge the NWC to weigh its actions, in the interest of fairness, justice, and equity in line with the democratic ideals of our great party, the rules of the National Assembly and provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)”