The newly-elected national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has taken over the affairs of the party at its national secretariat, Abuja, popularly known as the Wadata Plaza.

Speaking at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) hall, where he took over from his predecessor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Secondus said the new leadership would avoid pressure on minor issues, but concentrate more on winning 2019.

He explained that the party would decentralise power to states to free the centre, stressing that only serious issues relating to 2019 would be accorded priority.

“Nigerians can no longer be fooled by false propaganda. They will hear the truth and the truth will save the country, not by false propaganda. We need you (Makarfi) to standby because your advice, input will be very useful, if we must move forward.

“I am a product of the mercies and miracles of God. At all times and in all nations, God chooses who leads. And so power comes from God, not from man.

“By the special grace of God, elections have come and gone and I declare to you that there is no victor, no vanquished. Our first assignment will be to bring all and sundry together, that is reconciliation.

“We reassure leaders of our party especially those who contested this election. We have already started work and by the grace of God, it will be productive.

“We promise to rebuild the party to regain the lost grounds. That will start today.

As I walked in through the gate, it was symbolic; I asked that the gate be thrown open. I hereby declared the gate to this party open to all our people irrespective of their religious beliefs, their class.

“They are free to come into the party especially those who left for one reason or the other.

This is the only platform that does not belong to any group or big man. This is a party that provides for the big, the small and the less privileged.

“We will never be distracted by the ruling party with their kind of false propaganda. Nigerians know the truth now that all they have been saying in the last two years are mere lies.

“My chairman (Makarfi) you have organised the best convention in the history of any political party in our nation. You will take the new message to the grassroots because we know that the APC and their government are broken.

“They are running a broken government. We need to rescue our nation from their hands to rebuild our country once more,” Secondus said. (Daily Trust)