PDP wouldn’t have been formed without Ekwueme, says Secondus

Emotions took the centre stage yesterday as the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by its National Chairman, Uche Secondus, paid a condolence visit to the family of late former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme.

The party leaders described Ekwueme as a detribalized Nigerian and a democrat par excellence.

The PDP entourage, which included Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, BOT Chairman, Senator Wali Jubril, former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, former governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang, former Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, former Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Kema Chikwe among others were received at Ekwueme’s Enugu residence at about 2:30 pm by former national chairman of the party, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo and members of the bereaved family led by Ekwueme’s daughter, Mrs. Chidi Ekwueme Onyemulukwe.

Secondus, who described the visit as a “solemn one,” said that the party was pained over the death of the former vice president because “it would not have been possible for the formation of the PDP we are enjoying today without the sleepless nights of Ekwueme and other leaders of the party.”

Describing Ekwueme as a “fearless, peaceful and detribalized Nigerian,” he said that his contribution for development and unity of the country ensured a return to democracy, stressing that all would miss him.

“He lived an exemplary life. He was a peacemaker, not only to where he comes from but to the people of Nigeria. How can we describe this man who had showed the way to the young and old that politics can be played without bitterness? How are we going to describe this intellectual giant? How are we going to describe one of the greatest democrats in the history of Nigeria? What could we have done without Dr. Alex Ekwueme?”

He told the widow, Beatrice, to take solace in the fact that “he is resting in the bosom of God almighty.”
Senator Jubril, while praying God to receive the soul of Ekwueme said he served with so much commitment and compassion and that his memories would remain evergreen in the annals of the party’s history.

Responding on behalf of the family, Ekwueme’s daughter said her father was a core party man and advised the leadership of the party to continue to abide by the virtues which he represented while he lived.

“We have heard very good things about him. In the early days of the PDP, I did a lot of typing with the PDP constitution.

“I want to take this privilege to say it will be wonderful if the PDP could instill discipline and for the party to be supreme, so that when the party decides, we fall in line. We have an election coming and it will profit us if we can try to respect decisions of the party. Thank you for honouring my dad and may his ideas hold through not just in our party but in our nation Nigeria.”