The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday, raised the
alarm over state of the nation's economy, challenging the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to come Pout straight with Nigerians on the state of the  economy.

Acting national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, raised the alarm, on Thursday, while speaking at the 67th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party, in Abuja, declaring that Nigerians deserved to know the true position of the nation's economy, which he said “is gradually sliding into recession.”

According to him, “it appears that the lack of an economic
direction and remedial actions from the government is having a debilitating effect on the economy.

“Jobs are being lost and small businesses are closing shops as a result of lack of constructive economic engagement from the APC government. Nigerians cannot continue like this, they
deserve to know the truth,” he lamented.

While highlighting the various steps being taken to review the PDP and make it a vibrant opposition to ensure good
governance in the country, Secondus declared “the vibrancy of our communication strategy  has been able to highlight certain abuses of the electoral act by security agencies orchestrated against our party’s candidates with Tribunal cases.

“We use this opportunity to reiterate our call on the security agencies to desist from these abuses in the interest of the sustenance of our democratic system.

“We are determined to provide Nigerians credible opposition by regularly evaluating the policies of the ruling government,” he assured.

According to him, “in this regard, we have called the attention of Nigerians to the selective implementation of the ordinarily commendable anti-corruption fight. It will be morally repugnant to target PDP members, while seemingly protecting APC members. All we are calling for is an equal and fair treatment of all Nigerians under the law.

“Government should prevent the slide of our dear country into a police state by controlling some of the brazen acts of the security agencies against state institutions as exemplified in the invasion of the Akwa Ibom Government House by some officers of the
DSS.”

On efforts being made to rebuild the party and ensure its eventual return to power come 2019, he said “we  have come to a critical juncture in the life of our dear party and the NWC under my leadership is determined to drive the process of reinvention that would ultimately return the party’s lost glory.

He said the NWC set a PDP Post -Election Review Committee, headed by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who had come up with a lot of recommendations, which would make the party regained its lost glory.

According to him, “against this background, the NWC believes
that a thorough implementation of the roadmap is the panacea to
the challenges confronting the party. Now that the report is
before NEC, the process of consultation has started.

“We have adopted the recommendations of the Ike
Ekweremadu-led committee as a veritable roadmap for this
process of rejuvenation and we call on all to give it their
support.

“There are far-reaching recommendations that touch on the soul of the party and her potential to re-invent itself.”

The highlights, he said  were as follows: Sanctity of the zoning principle of the Party, Biometric Membership Registration, Introduction of Direct Primaries (to guarantee internal democracy) and  Reconciliation.

He disclosed that  the NWC had already kick-started the
implementation of the PDP Biometric Membership Registration which the NEC approved in 2010.

The Ekweremadu report had reiterated the importance of this policy in opening up the party and returning it fully to the grassroots among many other advantages it carries.

According to him, “the zoning principle enshrined in our
constitution is another fundamental element to be pursued in this reform roadmap.

“In accordance with the recommendation of the committee, we have made a pronouncement that the party’s presidential candidate would be zoned to northern Nigeria for the 2019
general election.

While soliciting the support of all the members of the party
towards the rebuilding of the party for the future, Secondus said

“our party has witnessed challenging times after our
disappointing loss in the last elections.

“We moved from pain, despair, soul-searching and now by the
grace of the Almighty God, we have started the process of
rebuilding confidence in ourselves for a brighter future for the Party,” he stated.

In his remarks, Senator Ekweremadu declared that PDP
remained  a party to beat in the county and that the party was ready to apologise to Nigerians for the mistakes of the past if the need be for it to return to power come 2019, to rescue Nigerians from misrule of the APC.