Respite for Secondus, court returns him as PDP national chairman

A high court in Kebbi State has ordered the return of Uche Secondus as national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Justice Nusirat Umar, ruled on Thursday in a suit marked KB/AC/M.170/2021 that the execution of a previous order barring Secondus from parading himself as national chairman be suspended, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive case.

Umar gave an order of interim injunction “staying the purported suspension of the first respondent pending the determination of the substantive motion on notice No KB/HC/M.170/2021 now pending before this honourable court.”

The presiding judge also granted an order “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.”

Secondus has been under increased pressure of late, with demands for his resignation coming from various quarters.

On Monday, a high court in Rivers state granted an interim order restraining Uche Secondus from parading himself as the national chairman of the party.

Okogbule Gbasam, the presiding judge, gave the order while ruling on a motion ex parte marked PHC/2183/CS/2021, and filed by four persons – Ibeawuchi Alex, Dennis Amadi, Emmanuel Stephen, and Umeziriki Onucha.

Following the order, Yemi Akinwonmi, deputy national chairman (south) of the PDP, has been named as the acting chairman of the party.