PDP Leadership: We Want A National Chairman That Will Not Take Sides – Sen Jibrin

The Chairman Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Walid Jibrin, has said that the party needs a reliable chairman who would not take any sides but be the man for all.

Jibrin who was a guest on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics, said this while responding to questions about the party’s leadership crisis.

When asked if he would love to see the embattled Chairman, Uche Secondus, return as the party’s chairman after the convention in October, Jibrin said: “We have held so many meetings to look at the left, right, front and back, to look at the real situation that will be better for us.”

“When we were discussing, we did not say that Secondus should be sent away immediately, no.

“We gave him all the respect, all the opportunity to think and for him to even come out and make a decision by himself, not for us to make a decision for him.

“I’ve seen the rumours that there are some particular people who want him out immediately, No.

“For you to tell me that right away, the aim is to sack him, or to disgrace him, no we are not ready for that.

“We are ready for him to come and talk to us, agree with us so that we can leave peaceably”.

Speaking further, the BoT chairman, pointed out some qualities which he believes would make a good leader for the party.

“At this stage, we are in now, we need to have a very sound, clever, party chairman that will lead this party,” he said.

“We must have someone who is consistent in his loyalty to the party. He should be well-grounded in politics both at the national and local levels with a good reputation for excellent leadership.

“Somebody who will be for all of us and make sure that he does not take sides”.

His comments follow several calls for the resignation of Mr Secondus by some aggrieved party members.

They believe that he is more “preoccupied with holding onto his position rather than preparing for the next elections” and have also accused him of having “no clear road map, blueprint or policy programme for the PDP.”

Last week, a High Court in Rivers State granted an interim order restraining Mr Secondus from parading or acting as the National Chairman of the PDP.

The Kebbi State High Court on Thursday, however, ordered him to return to his position.

Speaking of the forthcoming Presidential election, the BoT chairman said the PDP has ruled Nigeria for 16 years and he is optimistic about the party’s ability to reclaim power in 2023.

“We are ready to rule again come 2023,” he said.

“We have candidates and personalities in the PDP that are capable of becoming President of Nigeria.

“There are many of them and we can pick anyone from any part of this country to be the president of Nigeria but it is not time for us to do that now”.