The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has assured Nigerians that in the New Year, the main opposition party would play robust and vibrant roles to activate the nation’s polity.‎

This was contained in his New Year Message to the nation, which was made available to news men in Abuja on Saturday.

Secondus asserted that the worst was over for the party, which is now ready and re-energised to play its statutory role in the polity to deepen nation's democracy.

He pointed out that what anti-democratic forces planned against PDP in 2017 failed because God and Nigerians still desired to have the party return to power.

According to him, “2017 was tough for us but the worst is over, we are now more than ever determined to take power back in Nigeria because the writing on the wall is clear that the ruling party cannot cope

“We sympathise with Nigerians for the hardship they have been going through in the hand of APC (All Progressives Congress) administration but assure them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Secondus noted that in the outgoing year, the APC administration dragged the country almost to the point of disintegration because of its parochial and exclusive approach to governance.

He explained that having gone through the political furnace, the PDP had learnt its lesson “and is now refined and used to return to power since APC has shown clearly that it could not translate its power grabbing conspiracy into governance.”

The National Chairman appealed to all critical stakeholders in the nation's democracy, particularly the media and civil society groups to stand up to their responsibilities and hold APC administration accountable.

Secondus said that he expected these stakeholders to be more responsive in the New Year and ensure that "APC’s anti-democratic behaviours as witnessed in 2017 like disregard to court orders and resolutions of the parliament will be prevented in 2018."

According to him, “in the outgoing year, we all witnessed how APC government snubbed our courts as well as resolutions of the National Assembly. Such things are dangerous and antithetical to good governance and democratic growth

“The New Year 2018 is strategic and critical in the political life of the nation because activities in the year will determine the success or otherwise of 2019.”

While wishing Nigerians a prosperous 2018, Secondus charged members and leaders of PDP to put all hands on deck in the New Year as the task ahead was enormous but surmountable.

He appealed to members of the party in Ekiti and Osun States to brace up for the party’s anticipated victory in the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in their states later in the year by vigorously mobilising the voters the task ahead.