Secondus remains expelled, cannot speak for PDP, Wike insists

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has said Prince Uche Secondus is not a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and therefore cannot speak or interfere in party business.

Secondus, the former national chairman of the PDP, while alluding to Governor Wike in the media, reportedly said that no one has the power to impose a presidential candidate on the Rivers electorate.

Governor Wike declared Secondus to be an indiscreet trespasser because he was expelled as a member of the PDP by his neighborhood in Andoni, an action which was upheld by a competent court.

The Governor, who revealed this during the inauguration of the Aluu-Omagwa Link Road, held yesterday at Omuagubia Playground by Cross Junction, Omagwa at Ikwerre Local Council.

“I read this morning in a newspaper that a former member of our party, one Uche Secondus, said that no man can impose a presidential candidate on the people of Rivers.

“He is not a member of our party. His ward expelled him from the party. The court upheld it. , the case arrives on October 23, 2023."

Governor Wike continued, "I told him that you will not be the national president to lead the convention. Did he lead it? Was he at the national convention? So far you are not a member of our group.

"And anyway, I never said I was going to impose my candidate on the people of Rivers. I said I was going to tell the people of Rivers who I was going to support, for whom I was going to do campaign.

"But don't blame them, if you haven't finished high school, you won't understand grammar."

Governor Wike stressed that in any case, the people of Rivers will listen to him more than Secondus because they can trust him as a leader who will continue to defend the interests of the state.

"So, Mr. Secondus, I have no problem with you being Atiku's technical adviser. But don't speak on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rivers State because you are not not a member of our party."

Governor Wike said it is no surprise that Secondus, clouded by his semi-education, preferred a poorly educated candidate, Senator Lee Maeba, to be elected senator over Senator Magnus Abe, a Rivers son more educated.

The Governor recalled how Secondus and his cronies, now dubbed Abuja Rivers Politicians, had always tried to circumvent his political intentions, but failed.

The Governor said he made no apologies for destabilizing so-called Abuja politicians when the party structure was taken over by him in 2013, while pushing them to join him because there was no other choice for them.

"What most of you didn't know is that all those people running away to Abuja never worked with us. I led the team; they kicked them out of their duties in 2007. Yes, I have no excuse for that.

“In 2014, despite the fact that I was the one fighting for the party structure, most of them sabotaged me from the back to run for governor against me. When they saw that there was no more hope, that they had nothing else to do, they had no choice but to come and join us."

Governor Wike observed that as usual they banded together against him and clandestinely supported one of them to become the flag bearer for the PDP government in the state for the 2023 general elections, but were frustrated.

The Governor of Rivers State said he was engaged in a legal battle to recover oil wells ceded by the state to Imo and Bayelsa States and that today, the state receives the benefits.

Governor Wike also mentioned the ongoing legal battle over the illegality of the federal government collecting VAT when it should be collected by the state.

Governor Wike said one of the reasons people in Rivers can't trust Secondus is because of the ugly role it played in 2019. That was around election time, a he said, when Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Bukola Saraki visited him to ask what he wanted for Rivers State and the request was clear, the office of the Federation Attorney General and Minister of Petroleum.

But Governor Wike said what Secondus did was ask for an oil block for itself and not for the state. Governor Wike also recalled how Secondus has always frustrated the completion of projects within its purview, including the Andoni axis of the Ogoni-Opobo-Andoni unit road.

"Ask him what happened when the military took over, when the NRC was in power, Ada George was state governor. Ask him what happened at Ohamini Road Why was he told to jump like a frog?

"Who whipped him? Colonel Akubundu (Rtd) who was of course the organizing secretary, whipped him, why? He couldn't do the Ohamini road project." Governor Wike further alleged, "Ask him, starting in 1999 when Odili became governor, every project that Dr. Odili gave Andoni through him,...