PDP Crisis: I’ve Not Stepped Down, My Mandate Ends December, Says Secondus

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Prince Uche Secodus has said he is still the National Chairman
of the Peoples Democratic Party.

He also said that the mandate given to him at the party’s
National Convention in Abuja on December 9, 2017 remains intact
until his four-year tenure expires in December this year.

He made the clarifications following his absence at the party’s
92nd National Executive Committee meeting held at its national
secretariat in Abuja on Saturday amid speculations that he had been
removed from office.

Secondus, in a statement sent to one of our correspondents from
his media office, said his absence at the meeting was due to his
decision to obey an interim order from Cross River State High
Court.

Titled, “Secondus has not stepped down, just obeying Calabar
court interim order,’ the statement was signed by his Special
Adviser on Media, Mr Ike Abonyi.

The statement said, “The media office of Prince Uche Secondus
wishes to correct erroneous news circulating that he has stepped
down as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“Prince Secondus, by his unavoidable absence at the party’s
National Executive Committee meeting on Saturday, was merely
obeying an interim order from Cross River State High Court.

“As a law-abiding citizen, who has been an adherent of the rule
of law as a basis for democracy, stayed away out of respect for the
courts.

“Prince Secondus’ four-year mandate to lead the party, given on
December 10, 2017, ends by December 2021.

“By this release, media office wishes to urge media houses and
members of the public, particularly beloved members of PDP, to
disregard any news suggesting that he has stepped down.”

Earlier on Saturday morning, Secondus had sent a memo to his
deputy, Yemi Akinwonmi, directing him to preside over the NEC
meeting.

The memo, titled, “NEC meeting of Saturday, August 28, 2021,”
read, “I hereby request you to preside over the National Executive
Committee of the party, taking place today, 28th August 2021 @12
noon, in my absence. Thank you.”

Secondus’ directive was believed to have been as a result of a
court order from a high court in Calabar, which barred him from
returning to office as the national chairman of the PDP.

The order came a few hours before the commencement of the NEC
meeting which Secondus was meant to preside over.

Justice Edem Kooffreh granted the interim order while ruling on
a motion ex parte filed by Enang Wani against Secondus and the
PDP.

Ruling on the motion ex parte application, marked HC/240/2021,
the judge granted “an order of interim injunction restraining the
first defendant (Secondus) from assuming the office of the second
defendant (PDP) while seeking reelection to the office of the
national chairman of the second defendant pending the hearing and
determination of the motion on notice.

“The court barred Secondus from presiding over any meeting of
the party until the motion is heard.

“An order of interim injunction restraining the first defendant
(Secondus) from presiding over the national executive committee
meeting of the 2nd Defendant scheduled to hold on Saturday, the
28th of August, 2012 or any subsequent meeting of the national
executive committee of the second defendant and from presiding over
any meeting of any organ of the second defendant or attending any
of such meetings of functions in the capacity of national chairman
of the party or in any other manner or form attempting to
forcefully gain entrance into any such meetings or into the
premises of the second defendant as national chairman of the party
pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice,” the
judge ruled.

The court also restrained the PDP from recognising or granting
Secondus the powers due to the office of the national chairman.

“An order of interim injunction restraining the second
defendant, its members, officers and agents from recognising the
first defendant as its national chairman or from according to him
any of the powers, rights or privileges due to the holder of the
office of the National chairman of the 2 Defendant pending the
hearing and determination of the motion on notice,” the ruling
read.

Kooffreh also ordered that the notice of the ruling be served to
the parties by substituted means by “pasting at the entrance of the
national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party at Wadata
Plaza, Plot 1970, Michael Okpara Street, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, in the
Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria and by publication in two (2)
National Newspapers in Nigeria”.

The matter was adjourned till September 7, 2021, for the hearing
of the motion on notice.

It was the second time Secondus would be restrained by a court
order from continuing in office as PDP National Chairman.

A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, presided over by
Justice O. Gbasam, had last week made the same order.

However, a few days later, a countermanding order by Justice
Nusirat Umar of the Kebbi State High Court reinstated him to
office.

The Cross River State court order is the latest in the unfolding
crisis rocking the opposition party.