PDP: Court stops Secondus from parading self as national chairman

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

Renewed crisis has erupted in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a High Court in Rivers State granted an interim order restraining Prince Uche Secondus from parading himself as the National Chairman of the party.

Four members of the party, Ibeawuchi Ernest Alex, Dennis Nna Ammadi, Emmanuel Stephen and Umexirije Onucha on Monday, August 23, 2021 dragged Secondus and the PDP before the Degena Judicial Division of the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt seeking order restraining Secondus from parading himself as the party’s national chairman.

Counsel to the applicants, H. A. Bello Esq, approached the court under Hon. Justice (Dr.) O. Gbasam, asking the court to restrain Secondus from parading himself as a member of the PDP or as national chairman of the party or calling for a meeting of the party at ward, local government, state or national level.

The claimants as well sought the permission of the court that Secondus should be restrained from constituting National Convention Planning Committee of the party, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.

The temporary suspension of the national chairman no doubt will disrupt the temporary solution of the party crisis preferred by stakeholders two weeks ago.

Secondus had been ordered to convene a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) during which members of the National Convention Planning Committee and zoning arrangement ahead of the mandatory October convention would be announced.

The decisions followed a protracted crisis heightened by call for Secondus resignation by certain section of the party.