Secondus: PDP’ll Always Win in Rivers, Triumph in First Ballot

•Says no state in north that Atiku’ll score less than 25 per cent

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

In an apparent reference to the THISDAY 2023 Poll Centre, a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, yesterday, said the party has always won decisively in Rivers state and next year general election would not be different.

Secondus, who boasted that there was no state in the north that the PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, would win less than the mandatory 25 per cent, added that, contrary to insinuations, the party would win at first ballot.

The former PDP boss, who spoke to THISDAY as the Technical Adviser to the PDP Atiku, said, “Statistics on ground showed that the PDP will win at the first ballots.”

He explained that the party, since 1999 had grown to the various wards in the country, as such there is no part of the country, especially in the north that the party cannot not score less than 25 votes score, unlike other political parties that have been changing their names and structures all the time

According to Secondus, ” PDP is really the peoples party since 1999. We have been winning in Rivers State since 1999 and there is no reason why the winning streak will not continue.

“In the northern part of Nigeria, the actions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has made winning easier for the PDP. We are campaigning on our records. The APC has brought misery and poverty to Nigerians. Nigeria has become the headquarters of poverty in the world.

“The high cost of food stuff have shown the level of economic difficulties that the APC has brought upon Nigerians. Rice as a staple food is no longer within the reach of ordinary Nigerians.

“People can no longer travel because of insecurity and high cost of fuel.  Those who want to travel because of the Christmas and new year holidays spend hours at the petrol stations. Nigerians have seen the difference and certainly, PDP will win the presidential and other elections clearly at the first ballots.

“We are not campaigning on propaganda, no. We are campaigning with records of our achievements. The records and pedigree of our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar is clear. Nigerians know his background, both academic and business background.  The presidential election will be a clear difference between light and darkness.” Secondus explained.

Meanwhile, Atiku has appointed Hassana Maina as his Special Assistant on Sustainable Development Goals. Maina’s appointment was made public in a press release signed by Atiku’s Media Adviser, Paul Ibe.

According to the letter of her appointment, Maina’s responsibilities included, among others, providing leadership and guidance on the sustainable development goals as it relates to the activities of Atiku and coordinating and integrating sustainable development goals into Atiku’s national development plans.

Maina is a lawyer, poet and gender consultant with more than three years experience. She is a recipient of the Future Africa Award prize and holds a Master’s degree from the University of London in Law, with specialisation in development and globalisation.