A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, has emerged as the new chairman of the party, polling a total of 2000 votes after the backing of the party’s power brokers.
Mr Secondus was the favour in the election which was held .
Mr Secondus recorded a landslide victory at Eagle Square, Abuja on Saturday as the first runner-up, a former Education Minister, Tunde Adeniran, garnered a paltry 230 votes.
Media mogul, Raymond Dokpesi polled 66 votes, with Taoheed Adedoja trailing in the rear with no vote.
The party also has a new National Secretary in Senator Umar Ibrahim Tsauri who polled a total of 1,549 votes to defeat Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha and Senator Nenadi Usman who garnered 371 and 287 votes respectively.
Also elected into the National Working Committee, NWC, was Senator Gamawa Babawo Garba who emerged the new Deputy National Chairman (North) beating former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Maryam Inna Ciroma, who many had tipped for the position.
Senator Garba got 1316 out of total vote cast while Ciroma polled 350 to settle for second spot on the log. Senator Saidu Kumo who also ran for the position came third after polling a total of 89 votes.
It was gathered that Secondus received strong backing of the 11 governors elected on the platform of the party, as they stood in solidarity with him throughout the exercise.
Governors of Rivers and Ekiti States, Messrs Nyesom Wike and Ayodele Fayose, actively mobilised support openly for the new party chair.
The unflinching support by the governors was said to have boosted Mr Secondus’ chance in the North where Adeniran had initial support.
Those who contested against him but lost were Raymond Dokpesi, Tunde Adeniran and Taoheed Adedoja.
Others contestants, apart from Olabode George, announced their withdrawal from the race shortly before the commencement of the exercise.
Mr George said on Friday at a press briefing that he was withdrawing due to the refusal of the party to micro-zone the office of the national chairman to the South-West.
The party had zoned the office to the entire southern part of the country, while it also ceded the presidential ticket to the northern region.
However, while there were seven aspirants from the South-West Zone, only two showed interest from the South-South.
