PDP splits, as another national chairman emerges
Barely a few hours after the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, declared himself the acting national chairman following the court-ordered sacking of Prince Uche Secondus, on Monday, the main opposition political platform has now split as another chieftain of the party has emerged as leader.
Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Sulieman Nazif at the party’s national secretariat, Tuesday, announced himself as acting national chairman, claiming the move is in accordance with the PDP’s constitution as amended.
Nazif who was flanked by nine members of the National Working Committee (NWC), announced himself acting national chairman of the party, just hours after his colleague from the South, Akinwonmi, had equally cited sections of the party’s constitution in declaring himself as the party’s leader.
The national chairman’s position at the PDP became vacant when a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, preside over by Justice Okogbule Gbasam, Monday, barred the erstwhile leader, Prince Secondus ‘from parading himself as the leader of the PDP.’
The ruling also barred Secondus from calling, attending or presiding over any meeting of the party, amongst other things.
Consequently, early Tuesday, Elder Akinwonmi declared himself the new acting national chairman of the party, while also suspending the NWC of the PDP indefinitely.
Akinwonmi said the suspension of the NWC was a deliberate decision to allow for broader consultation in the overall interest of the party following the restraining order by the court.
Akinwonmi in a press release made available to journalists in Abuja disclosed why he suspended the NWC meeting.
“Our attention was drawn yesterday evening to a court order which purports to restrain our National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, from summoning and presiding over the meetings of the organs of the party.
“In the foregoing circumstances, as Deputy National Chairman (South) of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, after the consultations and in exercise of the aforesaid powers, hereby deem it fit and proper to postpone the National Working Committee, NWC, meeting earlier scheduled for today until further notice to allow for broader consultations in the overall interest of our part.
“Section 35(3) (b) of the constitution of the People’s Democratic Party empowers me to summon and preside over party meetings in the absence of the national chairman,” the statement read.
Before the court order sacking him as chairman of the PDP, Secondus had scheduled the PDP NWC meeting for Tuesday at the party’s headquarters, in Abuja.
Crisis rocking the PDP was thought to have been settled by the Board of Trustees and elders of the party who had intervened to reach an agreement among warring factions by moving forward the December 2021 National Convention of the party to October for the election of a new NWC.
Secondus had been under pressure to resign his position as national chairman from sections of the party including members of the serving NWC, state governors and other stakeholders.