Breaking! Court Bars Secondus From Parading Self As PDP Chairman

Prince Uche Secondus has been  restrained from parading himself as the National Chairman of the opposition’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Hon. Justice O. Gbasam of the Degema Judicial Division Vacation Court granted the injunction on Monday while sitting in Port Harcourt.

The ruling follows a suit with No: PHC/2183/CS/2021, filed by Ibeawuchi Ernest Alex, Dennis Nna Amadi, Emmanuel Stephen and Umezirike Onucha against Uche Secondus (1st defendant) and the PDP (2nd defendant).

After hearing the submission of H.A. Bello, Counsel to the Applicants, the Judge granted the interim injunction barring Secondus from parading himself as the National Chairman of PDP.

The order read: “An order restraining the 1st Defendant from parading himself as member of the 2nd Defendant or the National Chairman of the Defendant or performing the functions of national chairman of the 2nd defendant or calling, attending or presiding over any meeting of the 2nd defendant or any committee of the 2nd defendant at the Ward, Local Government or State level or calling for any Ward, Local Government or State Congress of the 2nd defendant or setting up committees for such Congresses or participating in any activity of the 2nd defendant whatsoever whilst on suspension as a member of the 2nd defendant pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”

In an earlier report by The New Diplomat, Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has said that the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), cannot deliver success for the party in the upcoming 2023 general elections.

According to the Governor, Secondus, alongside other members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), lacks leadership qualities to lead the party to victory in the 2023 general elections.

Wike further added that the current crisis rocking the party is a reflection of the failure of the Secondus-led NWC.

Recall that recently, seven members of the NWC resigned from their respective positions on the same day. Also, several prominent individuals have dumped the party for the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Reacting to the recent tide of events, Wike maintained that the internal rumbling that was recently witnessed in the party was due to the failure of the NWC to carry out its responsibility as an opposition political party effectively.

Wike stated this while speaking on national television in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

The Governor, who has been a strong critic of the Secondus-led NWC reiterated his call for proactive leadership, stating that Secondus has outlived his usefulness. He added that Secondus should give way for more result-driven individuals that will help reposition the PDP to take power in 2023.

The governor’s remarks were relayed by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri in a statement titled ‘PDP needs new, robust, determined NWC to win 2023 general elections -Gov Wike and made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt.

The statement reads, “If you go to the public and ask Nigerians if PDP is ready to take over power in 2023, if you hold a referendum, you will know that Nigerians are even waiting for PDP.

“But the fear of Nigerians is whether PDP is ready to take overpower. So, people are concerned about it. Obviously, it is ripe for PDP to take over, but you must be prepared to take over.

“And we said with what we have now, it will be difficult to take over power in 2023 if there are no amendments. Leadership was the problem. The point is this, the current NWC, as it is today, cannot lead the party to victory.

“Nobody has said they have not done well, one way or the other. But, we are talking about the challenges ahead. That is why we are pushing for the party to have other people lead the party and to give it a different strength altogether. If you know APC, you know that you need a robust, determined leadership of the party (PDP) to make sure you match them word by word, action by action”.