Justice Nusirat. I. Umar a vacation Judge of the Kebbi state High Court,has ordered Prince Uche Secondus to return to his position as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)
She gave the order in a suit brought before her in Birinin Kebbi, the state capital in case KB/AC/M. 170/2021.
She said she was satisfied after reading the affidavit of the respondents that an interim order should be granted on the purported suspension of Prince Secondus pending the determination of the case.
“An order of this Honourable court granting leave to the first respondent (Uche Secondus) to continue exercising all the constitutional powers of the office of Chairman of PDP (second defendant) as enshrined in both 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended and the Peoples Democratic Party’s constitution pending the hearing and final determination of applicant’s motion on notice.”
“Three concerned members of the party, Yahaya Usman, Abubakar Mohammed and Bashar Suleman are the claimants/Applicant in the case while Prince Secondus and the PDP are the defendants/Respondents,” Justice Umar said.
A High Court in Degema, Rivers State had ordered the removal of Secondus as a member of the party, as well as National Chairman of PDP. The court had also ordered that from the 23rd of August 2021, Prince Uche Secondus should stop parading himself as a National Chairman.
Meanwhile,the Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday accepted Elder Yemi Akinwonmi as the acting National Chairman of the party.
The party passed a vote of confidence on the Board of Trustees (BoT) and insisted that its convention holds in October this year.
Recall that a High Court in Degema, Rivers State had ordered the removal of Secondus as a member of the party, as well as National Chairman of PDP. The court had also ordered that from the 23rd of August 2021, Prince Uche Secondus should stop parading himself as a National Chairman.
The party, has, however, decided to address this development created by the absence of Secondus, by insisting that Akinwonmi is the right person to occupy the position, according to its Constitution in Section 45 (2).
Speaking during the Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting, Akinwonmi said PDP is not dead, adding, “contrary to what people are saying in the media and social media. I’m happy today, by evening that when they see us in television, hugging ourselves, laughing and yelling , they will know that PDP is alive.
“PDP is coming stronger than before. That there is a little squmbles in PDP is not my making or that of my colleagues. It is a situation that called for it but we are responded to it quickly. We have closed ranks. We have brought our house to order.
“My brothers and sisters, we have to come together, PDP has come together. I am a man of peace. My leaders know me that I’m a man of peace I have nothing to hide. If you ask me to this date I will not stay a day longer than you have me to.
“The NWC have accepted and adopted the end of October as end of our tenure. We will soon set the machinery of the convention in Motion. We will soon set the ball rolling for us to have our convention and have new set of officers to come and pilot the affairs of our party.
“I’m tired I’m going back to my farm. I am a farmer in Ogun State. I am anxious to go back to my farm. So I have no business in Abuja. But only I am a child of circumstance.”
The Acting Chairman further said that he came to savage the party, adding that “with the support of you the leaders, I Will navigate the ship to a successful end.
“I enjoin all of us let us work together. My office is open 24 hours. Some people Say I am incapacitated, I am not in capacitated, I have challenges and because I have no money, if I have money, I will be in Dubai now and come back a strong Nigeria.
“In unity, we shall succeeded. In unity PDP shall regain presidency again. Let us work hard, this is the time for PDP to win. This is the time better than other time. You know Nigerians are now crying for 2023. This is the time will should be united. This is the time there should be no acrimony. So that we will regain our stolen property.”
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, while briefing newsmen earlier, said, “we have navigated the turbulence that we find ourselves in and today, like all witnesses when you came in, there there are no factions in the Peoples Democratic Party. The motion was moved and Elder Yemi Akinwonmi was unanimously approved as the Acting Chairman of our great party.
“It is interesting for Nigerians to know that this is in line with the provisions of our Constitution. The party is fully back on stream, we are sailing smoothly and I will also want to let you know that as you can witness out Board of Trustees meeting is going on as we speak. Tomorrow, we are going to have a caucus meeting, and the National Executive Committee will also meet tomorrow in preparation for the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which will hold on Saturday.”
Addressing newsmen shortly after their meeting, the BoT Chairman, Sen. Walid Jibrin said, “the BoT accepted the position of the acting chairman of our party, following the provisions in the constitution of the party. That is, the Deputy National Chairman South should resume as the acting chairman of the party.
“The NWC has accepted the documents submitted by the larger caucus of governors, National Assembly members, former governors, former ministers, and so on and these include: the coming elective convention will be in October. They have also agreed to come with a proposed list to the BoT for their own input before the NEC. The NEC meeting has been fixed for Saturday. Before the NEC, there will be a meeting of BoT, there will be a meeting of caucus.”
Besides,at a press briefing on Thursday ,the Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors and Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal said that Secondus must obey the law of the land, which sack him on Tuesday in Port Harcourt.
Addressing newsmen at the end of an emergency meeting of the governors, which was held in Abuja, Tambuwal said that the governors will support the interim leadership of acting National Chairman, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi.
The Sokoto state governor said that they will not betray the confidence and the trust given to them by Nigerians, adding that the members of the party are law abiding people.
He said: “We are a law abiding party that believes in the rule of law. So when a High Court in Port Harcourt restrainted Secondus from parading himself as national chairman of the party, we advised ourselves that that was the way to go. We must comply with that court order.
“We had Akinwonmi presiding over the meeting of National Working Committee today and he came to brief us on their decision which is in line with previous meeting of the Governors Forum and the meeting of stakeholders that there should be NEC meeting on Saturday, where we shall be discussing issues about national convention by the grace of God, which is still holding in October.
“The road can be bumpy but the most important thing is that we are still holding together strongly and that is what we assure our members and teeming supporters across the country.
“We are the hope of Nigeria and the hope of the future and we earned that confidence and trust of Nigerians and we are not going to betray it.”
