Secondus Returns To Office As PDP National Chairman

Mr Uche Secondus on Friday returned to office as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) amid the leadership crisis in the main opposition party.

His action followed the ruling of a Kebbi State High Court in Birnin Kebbi presided by Justice Nusirat Umar who ordered him to return to office.

On Monday, a Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt presided by Justice Okogbule Gbasam restrained Secondus from parading or acting as the PDP National Chairman.

“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,” Justice Umar later ordered on Thursday while ruling on a suit marked KB/AC/M.170/2021.

A day after the ruling of the court in Kebbi, Secondus reappeared at the party’s secretariat at a time when members of the PDP Board of Trustees met on Friday to review the leadership crisis bedevilling the party.

Rather than joining the meeting, he walked straight to his office and sat on his chair to reclaim the chairmanship of the party.

Mr Yemi Akinwonmi, who had assumed the party’s leadership in an acting capacity, sat on the chair of the PDP National Chairman at the meeting.

He drew the attention of the party leaders to a letter he received when he got into the office without disclosing its content to the media.

“My dear caucus, the letter is very important, and I will want us, if possible, to first discuss the content of the letter before doing other things today (Friday),” said the PDP chieftain who is the PDP Deputy National Chairman (South).

Among those present at the meeting were the party’s BoT Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, as well as former Senate Presidents David mark, Pius Ayim, and Bukola Saraki.

Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, and his Enugu State counterpart, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, also attended.

Governor Tambuwal told reporters at the end of the meeting that the party leaders have decided to set up a committee to address the issues and return normalcy to the PDP.

“This distinguished body has empanelled its distinguished leaders of our party under the able leadership of a former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, to interface with our leaders who are involved in these issues of court, so that all court matters can be withdrawn and for normalcy to continue to return to the party,” he said.