The election of Uche Secondus as the New PDP National Chairman marks the highest point in the political career of a man who plays a different kind of politics- party politics.
Unlike most other politicians who seek public office, Secondus prefers to play party politics and has done so since the second republic.
The Andoni born politician has never run for any public office in his entire political life but has been in the thick of political party politics.
In 1979, he was elected the Rivers State Youth Leader of the then National Party of Nigeria (NPN).
Between 1993 and 1998, he was elected the Publicity Secretary of the Rivers State Chapter of the National Republican Convention (NRC).
With the dawn of the third republic in 1999, he was elected Rivers State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and held that position throughout the eight year tenure of Dr. Peter Odili as State Governor.
In 2007, he was the South South Cordinator of the PDP Presidential Election Campaign that pushed the Yaradua/Jonathan ticket into Aso Rock.
In 2008, Secondus was thrust onto national party politics when he was elected National Organizing Secretary of the PDP, a position he held for four years.
In 2013, he was elected National Deputy Chairman of the PDP making him the Number Two man in the National Administrative Structure of the party under the Chairmanship of Alhaji Adamu Muazu.
When Adamu Muazu resigned in 2015 after the loss of the Presidency by the PDP, Secondus took over as the Acting National Chairman of the Party.
Looking at this man’s trajectory, it is difficult not to agree that the PDP has elected, perhaps a highly experienced party man as it’s new National Chairman.
Secondus likes to play party politics. He has played it since 1979. He understands party politics very well and has risen through the ranks, from State Youth Leader up to Deputy National Chairman.
He has been part of the State Executive of a party. He has been State Chairman, he has been a member of the National Working Committee and has been acting National Chairman. He has coordinated the South South Regional Campaign of the Presidential election.
The immediate task facing the 66 year old Secondus is to galvanize the PDP for the 2019 Presidential Elections.
Is he ready??
In his acceptance speech after the convention, he said that his major priority is to ensure that “the brief tenancy of the APC at Aso Rock terminates on May 28, 2019”.
The days ahead will be interesting.
