I can clearly say that the tenure of the Prince Uche Secondus and Elder Yemi Akinwonmi -led National Working Committee was very eventful. We came into office in 2017 at a point when the government in power and the ruling party, APC considered the PDP as a dead party. We came in at a point when nobody in the PDP, except for a handful could speak directly to the administration of President
Muhammadu Buhari, APC and to whatever they represent. We came into office in 2017 at a point when members of PDP were being castigated, harassed and thrown from courts to prison. It fell as a responsibility on the leadership of the party to straighten the facts before Nigerians, to rescue our
members who were being harassed, reshape the party and reconfigure it in a manner that it became an attraction all over again to Nigerians. Like the Bible says and as a Christian and a Catholic, I believe there are times and seasons in every situation under the sun. I believe that this crop of NWC members were charged with a divine responsibility to rewrite the history of the party, reshape it before Nigerians, re-present it to Nigerians and rebuild it. I believe that the job was perfectly done. For the new crop of
executives who are coming to take over the responsibility, we wish them very well and we hope they will even surpass what we were able to achieve. No matter what people say, I believe that the 2019 presidential election was won by the PDP and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, irrespective of the position of the Supreme Court and with all due respect to the judges. I strongly believe that the PDP won that
election but were denied. However, it is our prayer and desire that just as at the close of the election in 2019, we had about 16 or 17 states from the position of 11 states that was handed over to us in 2017, it is our prayer that those who will take over from us will return the party to government in 2023.
Many people never gave you a chance when you signified interest in running for the position of NPS in 2017. How were you able to surmount the challenges and emerged victorious?
I won because first, God wanted me to come in at that particular point in time in order to reshape the party and correct the negative impression given to it by the APC. Whether they believed in me or not, God raised men who felt that I should be given the opportunity. These men cut across the whole of this
nation. Some are still leading in the PDP while some have left the party. But I give glory to Almighty God that since my assumption of office till date, nobody has called me and said I disappointed them or the party.
Are you satisfied that the NWC you are part of delivered on the mandate given to it by PDP members?
Honestly, I will be very candid in this and I want Nigerians and the leadership of the party to take a decision on what role we played or didn’t play. As a person, I await the verdict of history. I have no doubt in my mind that given the responsibility and the situation in which we found ourselves, we have done our best and we will allow history to judge us.
