Uche Secondus: 12 things you should know about new PDP chairman

Here's everything you need to know about new PDP chairman, Uche Secondus. 

Prince Uche Secondus has just been elected new chairman of the opposition PDP at the party’s convention.

The elective convention of the PDP held at the Eagle Square, Abuja on Saturday, December 9, 2017.

Results were made official at around 3am on Sunday, December 10, 2017.

Here are a few things you should know about the new helmsman of the PDP:

1. The new PDP chairman is 62 years old. He was born in Andoni, Rivers State on March 22, 1955.

2. Secondus was Rivers State youth leader of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the second republic.

3. The new PDP chairman served as State publicity secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC) from 1993–1998.

4. In 2002, Secondus was elected chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the PDP.

5. Ahead of the 2007 general elections, Secondus was handed the position of south south coordinator of the PDP national campaign.

6. Secondus became deputy national chairman of the PDP in 2013.

7. After the 2015 general elections, Secondus became acting chairman of the PDP. He succeeded Adamu Mu’azu who left his job on a sour note.

8. Secondus was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in February 2016 on allegations bordering on corruption.

According to the EFCC, Secondus allegedly took delivery of 23 luxury vehicles valued at N310 million from Jide Omokore.

Omokore is an associate of former petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Omokore, Jide Aluko and Diezani are being prosecuted by the state for crude oil fraud and money laundering.

9. Secondus spent eight days in EFCC custody following his arrest in 2016.

10. After Secondus stepped in following Mu’azu’s departure in 2015, a federal high court ruled that he should vacate office because he was occupying the position in contravention of the zoning rules of the PDP.

The court judgment arrived after Ahmed Gulak who was political adviser to former president Goodluck Jonathan, sued that the position of PDP chairman was zoned to the north-east and not the south-south where Secondus hails from.

The court granted Gulak’s prayers but Secondus never vacated office.

11. Secondus emerged chairman based on the support from powerful State Governors of the PDP led by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and the south-south, southeast PDP caucuses.

12. Secondus says he'll "rebuild, reposition and regain the PDP (3Rs)".