…..As Secondus insists PDP remains largest party
By Lateef Ibrahim Abuja
The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday inaugurated its committee on electronic-registration with the Chairman of the committee and Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki promising to produce a comprehensive and generally acceptable register that the party will be proud of.
Obaseki, further declared that the committee, which has the Governor of Adamawa State, Mr Ahmadu Fintiri as Vice-Chairman, will be all inclusive and engage the brilliant young men and women in the country who exist and live in the digital world in carrying out its assignment.
Obaseki categorically assured that the committee will leverage on the existing platform of the party to produce a membership register that the party will be proud of.
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, while inaugurating the committee, earlier, said that despite being in opposition in the country, the PDP, without grandstanding, remains the largest political party on the African continent.
Secondus boasted that in terms of membership drive and outreach across states of the federation, PDP members outnumbered that of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
His words, “when we say that PDP is the largest party in the continent, we are not grandstanding but stating the obvious, there is no nook and cranny of this country that you won’t find PDP members.
“In 2019 general election, the PDP was the only political party that fielded candidates in all the positions: Presidency, Governorship, Senate and House of Representatives and in all the 36 states Houses of Assembly.
“Even in states where we are not in power, our members still out number even the ruling party in such states.
“We are the only party since inception in 1998 that has been consistent in name, motto, manifestos and logo”, he said.
The National Chairman of the main opposition party said due its size and reach, and the fact the party is dynamic and moves with the times, it is the desire of the party to digitalize its membership for proper database.
He said e- registration is a project that is very dear to the party and has been on the card since 2010.
According to him, “Reports we get across the country shows that many more Nigerians want to belong to this party and this program will provide them such opportunity”.
Secondus told the Obaseki and Fintiri (Chairman and Vice Chairman of the committee respectively) that “in appointing you as the Chairman of this project, the party took into consideration your background and your love for data and record keeping.
“We have absolute confidence that you and your team will deliver in this assignment that is expected to update the data base of our party across the country.
“Membership registration into our party is a continuous program. What we are embarking on is to digitalize it for proper analysis of issues.
“The place of women and youths in our party cannot be over emphasized and this program is going to help toward proper planning in our party.
“Your Excellencies, leaders of our party here present, before I inaugurate this August body, may I use this opportunity to call on President Muhammadu Buhari and his APC party to immediately unban the micro blogging Twitter and stop limiting Nigerians from expressing themselves”, he said.
Among the members of the committee are; the National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, Deputy National Secretary, Dr Agbo Emmanuel, Hon CID Maduabum, Director-General of PDP Governors’ Forum; Prof. Wale Oladipo, Sani Kutigi and Hon. Austin Opara while the National Organising Secretary, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd) serves as Secretary.
