Barely a week to the National Convention of the Peoples democratic Party (PDP), Oodua PDP Alliance has drummed support for Prince Uche Secondus and called on the South West to drop the bid for the party chairmanship.

In a statement signed by the leader of the group, who is also a leader of PDP in Osun State, Hon Hakeem Ogunsola, the group affirmed that South West has proved its unpreparedness for the party leadership, affirming that “the leadership should go to South South, the main base of the PDP.”

“We want to note that rebuilding the PDP and winning power back in 2019 demand a chairman with solid home base, deep experience and capacity to face the power of incumbency. We need Prince Secondus to lead these electoral and political battles to rescue Nigeria and change the fake change,” the statement issued on Thursday noted.

While condemning the discordant and rancorous competition among South West chairmanship aspirants, the group said: “South West does not need party chairmanship. If anything we should rally round Prince Secondus and seek better offer in arrangement of national offices.

“How can you be going for chairmanship when there are better bargaining to strike? How can you hope to lead the party when your zone is not a stronghold of the PDP? How can you even be taken seriously when many of your aspirants carry heavy baggages? We don't want party chairman in South West. Let Secondus have it.”

The group, which claimed to have members across the six south-western states, announced its resolve to mobilise the Yoruba axis of the PDP for Prince Secondus, describing the Rivers State politician as “tested, experienced and competent to lead the party.”

“Secondus has party leadership experience nobody can rival. He has the boldness, the national recognition, the will and the passion to pilot the affairs of the party. He is the best to lead the party at these critical times.

“With this press statement, we are putting the whole nation on notice that we align with South South and Prince Secondus. We have commenced advocacy and mobilisation and we urged South West aspirants to drop their ambitions and bargain for better national governmental positions,” the statement concluded.