PDP Crisis; 2 Chairmen Emerge, Party Splits; 4 New Striking Developments

PDP Crisis has taken some new dimensions as The Peoples Democratic Party, Nigeria’s biggest opposition party, was factionalised on Tuesday with the emergence of two acting national chairman.

In separate statements on Tuesday, the party’s two Deputy National Chairmen, Yemi Akinwonmi (South) and Senator Suleiman Nazif (North), claimed to be the party’s interim National Chairman.

According to reports, while Akinwonmi was loyal to Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, Nazif enjoyed the support of the party’s suspended National Chairman, Uche Secondus.

See also Court Suspends Secondus as PDP Chairman

On Monday, a Rivers State High Court presided over by Justice O. Gbasam of the Degema Judicial Division in Rivers State issued an injunction prohibiting Secondus from presenting himself as the party’s national chairman.

This followed the consideration of an ex parte motion brought by Ibeabuchi Alex, Dennis Amadi, Emmanuel Stephen, and Umezirike Onucha against Uche Secondus (1st defendant) and the PDP in suit No: PHC/2183/CS/2021 (2nd defendant).

Secondus Responds to reports of Suspension.

Prince Uche Secondus, the beleaguered National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has stated that the party is a child of history owned by Nigerians and bigger than any individual, especially desperadoes.

Secondus made the statement in response to news that a court injunction had barred him from posing as a member or chairman of the party.

Remember that the cry for Secondus’ resignation, backed by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, was only quenched by the postponement of the party’s convention from December to October.

In a statement released Tuesday morning, the individual known as “Total Chair” stated that neither he nor the party was frightened to go to court. He further implied that the aforementioned injunction was false and the work of desperadoes.

In a statement by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, Secondus said: “If we are taken to court we will defend ourselves.“It’s disheartening that the interim order of court used in removing the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, unilaterally in January 2019, which PDP vehemently condemned, is resurrecting again from Port Harcourt.“PDP and Secondus are not afraid of court.

“PDP and Secondus are not afraid of court.

Pdp Crisis; Anti-Secondus Faction Fixes Emergency NEC For Friday.

A few hours after the statement, members of the party’s NWC, led by Nazif, invaded the PDP national secretariat with armed police officers and proceeded straight into the NWC conference room for a meeting that began about 2 p.m.Nazif spoke to the media shortly after the meeting, which lasted roughly 40 minutes.

He said, “Members of the NWC will recall that this morning, we were in possession of a valid court order from a high court in Degema, Rivers State, issuing an order removing Secondus as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party as well as the national chairman of our great party.

“A court has also ordered that from August 23, 2021, Prince Uche Secondus should stop parading himself as the national chairman. The NWC hereby complies fully with the court order.

“Consequently, the NWC hereby calls for an emergency NEC meeting on Friday, August 27, 2021, at 10am prompt to deliberate on matters affecting the party. You are all aware that the PDP is a law-abiding party, the party that follows due process. So, we have received this order and this is it.”

See also “PDP May Become an Empty She’ll Before 2023”-Adesina.

“And in line with the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party, and I quote Section 35, 3 a-d, ‘Functions of a deputy national chairman: there shall be two deputy national chairman, one shall come from the northern part, while the other from the southern part of the country. The deputy national chairmen shall perform the following functions:

1) assist the national chairman in the discharge of his duty.

2) Perform such other functions as may be assigned to them.

3) In a result of resignation, removal, death, incapacitation or absence of the national chairman, a deputy national chairman from the region part of the country where the national chairman originates from shall assume office as the national chairman in acting capacity without prejudice to Section 47 (6) of the party Constitution.

4) In the absence of the national chairman and the deputy national chairman from the region or part of the country where the national chairman originates from, the other deputy national chairman shall act as the national chairman without prejudice to Section 47

6) of this Constitution.“On this note, distinguished NWC members, I hereby take full charge of the Peoples Democratic Party as chairman in an acting capacity.”

While explaining his reason for taking over, Nazif said, “We have waited this morning for the deputy national chairman (South), who has been incapacitated and who has not been attending the NWC meetings in the last nine months.

“As you know, in the absence of the deputy chairman (South), I take full charge; so, I am hereby calling for an emergency NEC meeting for August 27, 2021, by 10am prompt to deliberate on the new development.

“And I believe all the leaders of this party, the owners of this party, will be in attendance and that our governors and former presiding officers will be part of the NEC meeting to deliberate on all pending issues.”

See also PDP Governors Meets In Bauchi.

In response to a question as to whether there was now a division among members of the NWC, he said, “Let me make this very clear that this meeting was called for 2pm and like I said, the deputy national chairman, South, has been incapacitated and did not attend any meeting in the last nine to 10 months as far as the NWC is concerned.

“He has not been in communication with any member of the NWC for the last 10 months. This party must continue its process.

“And if I am not available, someone else will take over. If the national chairman is not available, someone will take over; if the deputy national chairman, South, is not available, the deputy chairman, North, will take charge.

“This is the resolution that was passed by the expanded caucus. And this was the resolution passed by the NWC at our last meeting and we all agreed that there would be a meeting today, a meeting that was supposed to be presided over by the national chairman; unfortunately, the court order came from a competent court and stopped the chairman from acting as the chairman of the party.”

Those who attended the meeting presided over by Nazif included the PDP National Secretary, Senator Ibrahim Tsauri; National Auditor, Adamu Mustapha; National Vice Chairman, South-South, Dan Orbih; his South-East counterpart, Ali Odefa; National Vice-Chairman, South-West, Toafeek Arapaja; and National Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye.

PDP crisis: Removal of Secondus unknown to our party’s constitution – Olafeso.

Dr Eddy Olafeso, a former South-West National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has stated that the removal of the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, was not in the party’s constitution.

The removal, according to Olafeso, is a “agbero form of removal” that will fail because the party does not belong to an individual.

He stated at Akure, the capital of Ondo state, that the party’s constitution outlined how a National Chairman of the party might be removed from office.

“When in doubt, the constitution comes first. Our constitution stipulates how you can discipline a national officer. If you are going through a slash and burn approach, you are abusing the constitution. The court of the land will not allow it. What they did in River State is not known to our constitution.

“For us, the truth remains that the constitution shall prevail at the end. Whatever anybody does, this party is beyond an individual. This party is beyond everyone one of us.

“The party belongs to the people and the constitution of the party holds supreme. Section 59(1) stipulates how you can discipline a National Chairman. If it were not followed to the latter, people are just wasting their time.

“I believe Chief Uche Secondus should continue until his tenure expires as we prepare for 2023 elections. This agbero approach in trying to remove the National Chairman will not work. It has never happened before.

Olafeso added that “Nigerians are waiting for the PDP to come and improve their lives. This purported removal of Secondus will not stand.”

PDP Crisis; Secondus should’ve walked when NWC voted against him- South West PDP

When the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Working Committee voted against him, Prince Uche Secondus was advised he should have thrown in the towel.

The reprimand by Rahman Owokoniran, General Secretary, PDP, South-West zone, comes on the heels of a court judgement that barred Secondus from acting as the party’s chairman.

Following a suit filed by Ibeawuchi Ernest Alex, Dennis Nna Amadi, Emmanuel Stephen, and Umezirike Onucha against Uche Secondus (1st defendant) and the PDP, a Rivers State High Court on Monday banned embattled Prince Secondus from parading himself as PDP National Chairman (2nd defendant).

After reading the affidavit in support of the motion of ex parte as well as the written address, and after hearing the submission of H.A. Bello, counsel to the applicants, Justice O. Gbasam of the Degema Judicial Division Vacation Court sitting in Port Harcourt, granted the interim injunction barring Secondus from parading as the National Chairman, PDP.

Reacting to the injunction, Owokoniran said in a statement that “Secondus is not a King.

“He should have thrown in the towel the moment the National Working Committee, NWC, passed the vote of no confidence on him.

“It was 6 out of 9 against him. Three abstained. That makes it 6 – 0.

“It was a unanimous decision. No one voted him to remain. He should have taken the honorable path and leave. This is democracy in action.”