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PDP crisis: Court reinstates Secondus, leaders retain Oct convention date

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PDP National Chairman, Uche SecondusLeaders of the Peoples Democratic Party have reiterated the October date for the party’s national convention and also affirmed the Deputy National Chairman (South), Yemi Akinwonmi, as its acting National Chairman.

The Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibrin, announced this after an emergency meeting of the board in Abuja, on Thursday.

Jibrin stated this as a Kebbi State High Court reinstated the party’s National Chairman, Uche Secondus, who was suspended by a Rivers State High Court last week.

In Abuja, Jibrin said, “The BoT accepted the position of the acting chairman of our party following the provisions in the constitution of the party. That is, the deputy national chairman, South, should resume as the acting chairman.

“The NWC has accepted documents submitted by the larger caucus of governors, National Assembly members, former governors, former ministers, and so on, and these include the coming elective convention, which will be in October. They have also agreed to come with a proposed list to the BoT for their own input before the NEC.

“The NEC meeting has been fixed for Saturday. Before the NEC, there will be a meeting of the BoT; there will also be a meeting of the caucus.”

Earlier, a former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, in a goodwill message at the meeting, commended party leaders, especially at the level of the BoT for intervening in the crisis.

He said, “I want to commend the BoT. Since we lost power, this BoT has become the most active organ in providing leadership to our great party.

“Since the inception of the party, we had always have a President, who overshadowed the BoT.

“Now that we are in the opposition, we can now see the importance of the BoT. I congratulate all members of the BoT for providing leadership to our party.

“Many people have wondered where I have been since September last year and it became a matter of rumour-mongering and all what not.

“I want to say that I was away, because I went back to school, and I finished my lectures in May and bagged a Master’s degree in International Relations from Cambridge University.

“I want to use this opportunity to thank our former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who actually recommended me to the university for that course.

“Yesterday, our opponents were rejoicing that there is a crisis in the PDP. Today, I don’t know what they will be doing. They will be crying, because the PDP has resolved its own crisis.”

On the security situation in the country, Atiku said, “The crises facing the country such as banditry, kidnapping, name it, we have the capacity to resolve those crises. I want to let you know that I won’t be travelling to Dubai again. I will always be around with you.”

I’m tired; I want to return to my farm in Ogun, says Akinwonmi

In his remarks, Akinwonmi said, “The PDP is not dead contrary to what people are saying in the media and social media. I’m happy today that when they see us on television hugging ourselves, laughing and yelling, they will know that the PDP is alive. The PDP is becoming stronger than before.

 

“That there is a little issue in the PDP is not my making or that of my colleagues. It is a situation that called for it, but we responded to it quickly. We have closed ranks. We have brought our house to order.

“My brothers and sisters, we have to come together; the PDP has come together. I am a man of peace. My leaders know me; I have nothing to hide.  If you ask me to this date, I will not stay a day longer than you want me to.

“We will soon set the machinery of the convention in motion. We will soon set the ball rolling for us to have our convention and have a new set of officers to come and pilot the affairs of our party.

“I’m tired; I’m going back to my farm. I am a farmer in Ogun State. I am anxious to go back to my farm. So, I have no business in Abuja.”

In a veiled reference to Atiku’s frequent trips to Dubai, Akinwonmi stated, “Some people say I am incapacitated. I am not incapacitated; I have challenges and because I have no money, if I have money, I will be in Dubai now and come back to Nigeria stronger.”

Those who attended the BoT meeting apart from Atiku were former Senate Presidents, David Mark, Pius Ayim, Abubakar Saraki, Adolphus Wabara and Iyorchia Ayu.

Others are a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Ishaya Bamaiyi (retd.); a former Niger State Governor, who is also the Chairman of the Ex-PDP Governors’ Forum, Babangida Aliyu; and a former Minister of Aviation, Kema Chikwe.

Earlier, the NWC held an emergency meeting. Speaking to the media after the meeting, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, announced the party’s plans to hold its NEC meeting on Saturday.

The Aminu Tambuwal-led PDP Governors’ Forum also endorsed the decisions of the NWC and the BoT ratifying Akinwonmi as the acting chairman.

Kebbi court orders Secondus’ reinstatement

In another development, a Kebbi State High Court sitting in Birnin Kebbi and presided over by Justice Nusirat Umar, on Thursday, granted an interim order reinstating Secondus as the PDP national chairman.

The interim order was granted in respect of suit number KB/HC/M.171/2021.

Claimants in the suit are Yahaya Usman, Abubakar Muhammad and Bashar Suleman, while Secondus and the PDP were listed as defendants.

Apart from issuing a stay of execution on an interim injunction restraining Secondus from parading himself as the national chairman, the Kebbi court granted “leave to the first respondent (Secondus) to continue exercising all the constitutional powers of the office of chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party as enshrined in both the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended and the PDP Constitution pending the hearing and determination of the applicants’ motion on notice.”

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