PDP crisis: Secondus gives conditions on court case

Embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, has given conditions, which must be met, before he would withdraw an appeal against the ruling of the Rivers State High Court, in Degema, suspending him from office.

TrackNews Online gathered the PDP chairman, at a meeting with the party’s leaders, last week, said his Appeal Court case is in reaction to suits filed against him. Consequently, he said he would withdraw the case if all the suits against him were withdrawn.

This is coming amid concerns by PDP members and leaders that the outcome of the Appeal Court may alter plans for the PDP October 30 national convention and the party’s plans for the 2023 general elections.

Secondus had filed an appeal before the appellate court in Abuja, challenging the ruling of the Degema High Court, which issued an order barring the PDP chairman from exercising the functions of his office.

TrackNews Online gathered that Secondus, who has continued to insist that his tenure would elapse on December 10, is praying the appellate court to rule that his tenure cannot be abridged and that all the decisions taken by the party in the process of trying to abridge his tenure should be declared a nullity.

The Appeal Court, it was learnt, is expected to commence hearing on the appeal, anytime from this week.

Sunday Sun gathered that in a bid to remove every encumbrance to the party’s plans for its national convention and plans for the 2023 general elections, PDP leaders have continued to reach out to Secondus over the court case.

A source told our correspondent, yesterday, that the PDP peace committee headed by former Senate President, David Mark met again with Secondus on Thursday, in Abuja, to persuade him to withdraw his case from the court.

However, the latter was said to have told the panel that in as much as he was disposed to withdrawing his case from the Court of Appeal, the other party must be willing to do so too.

“On Thursday, the David Mark committee met with Secondus. The national chairman told the committee that he didn’t go to court, that his court case is a reaction. Some leaders are apprehensive that they don’t know how this thing will end,” the source said.

Recall that the Rivers State High Court, in Degema, had in a ruling in a suit by some members of the PDP in Rivers State, restrained Secondus from functioning as chairman of the opposition party.

A Federal High Court, in Calabar, also restrained the PDP chairman from presiding over a meeting of the party’sNational Executive Committee (NEC), last month.

However, the NEC presided over by acting PDP National chairman, Yemi Akinwonmi, had fixed its National Convention for October 30-31, in Abuja and has gone ahead to set up a zoning committee to come up with a formula for zoning party offices to the various geo-political zones.