PDP appoints Acting National Chairman, as Court saves Uche Secondus

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has appointed the Deputy National Chairman (South), Yemi Akinwonmi, as its acting National Chairman. Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP Spokesman confirmed the development to newsmen on Thursday.

Akinwonmi was affirmed as the National Chairman after the National Working Committee’s closed door meeting in Abuja on Thursday. He confirmed the reschedule of the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) for Saturday.

Ologbondiyan said “Elder Yemi Akinwonmi was unanimously affirmed as Acting National Chairman. We will be holding our caucus and another NWC meeting tomorrow preparatory to holding our National Executive Council meeting at 12 ‘O’clock on Saturday.”

The confirmation is coming after a Rivers State High Court ordered the national chairman, Uche Secondus, not to parade himself as the national chairman of the PDP.

In a related development, a Kebbi State High Court has ordered Prince Uche Secondus to return to his position as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A vacation Judge, Justice Nusrat Umar, gave the order in a suit brought before her in Birinin Kebbi, the state capital. In the case, cited as KB/AC/M. 170/2021, Justice Umar said she was satisfied after reading the affidavit of the respondents.

She said it was necessary to issue an interim order on the purported suspension of Prince Secondus pending the determination of the case.

The order reads as follows: “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.

“Any further order(s) as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.” Three concerned members of the party, Yahaya Usman, Abubakar Mohammed and Bashar Suleman are the claimants/Applicant in the case while Prince Secondus and the PDP are the defendants/Respondents.

Politicians and members of the public are however keenly monitoring the unfolding development, which has been linked to several speculations pointing to the fight for the control of party structures ahead of the 2023 general elections.