The leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has heightened as Justice O. Gbasam of the Degema Division of a High Court of Rivers State sitting in Port Harcourt yesterday restrained Mr. Uche Secondus from parading himself as chairman of the party.
According to the court’s ruling, the embattled chairman was asked to stop functioning as a member of the party on account of his suspension from the party.
Gbasam issued the orders while delivering ruling in an exparte application by some chieftains of the PDP in Rivers State.
The plaintiffs in the suit marked PHC/2183/CS/2021 were Messrs Ibeawuchi Alex, Dennis Amadi, Emmanuel Stephen and Umezirike Onucha, while Secondus and PDP were the first and second respondents, respectively.
Mr. H. A. Bello, who argued the exparte application on behalf of the plaintiffs, urged the court to grant the reliefs sought by his clients in the interest of justice.
He also sought an order of court directing that the matter be heard during the court’s vacation owing to the urgent nature of the case.
Part of the prayers was that Secondus be stopped from performing the functions of national chairman of the PDP while on suspension as a member of the party.
In a short ruling, Justice Gbasam granted the reliefs and issued an order, “restraining the 1st defendant from parading himself as a member of the 2nd defendant or national chairman of the 2nd defendant or performing the functions of national chairman of the 2nd defendant or calling, attending or presiding over any meeting of the 2nd defendant or any committee of the 2nd defendant at ward, local government or state level.”
Secondus was also ordered to stay away from “calling for any ward, local government or state congresses of the second defendant or setting up committee for such congresses, or participating in any activity of the 2nd defendant whatsoever, while on suspension as a member of the 2nd defendant, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”
Besides, the judge ordered that the restraining order and all other orders as well as originating summons and motion on notice be served on Secondus by substituted means.
According to the ruling, the order and all other court’s documents were to be pasted on Secondus’ residence at 1, William Jombo Street, old GRA, Port Harcourt, Rivers State as well as published in a national newspaper.
The court held that once the documents were pasted at the 1st respondent’s residence and published in a national daily, it would be deemed to have been properly served on him.
Reacting to the ruling, Secondus said he was not afraid of the court’s injunction barring him from parading himself as chairman of the opposition party.
He said in a whatsapp message posted by his media aide, Mr. Ike Abonyi that he and the party would defend themselves if they were taken to court.
“The media office of the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been inundated with calls from media houses on a press statement sent to newsrooms by one Kelvin Ebiri, special assistant, media to the Rivers state Governor, Bar Nyesom Wike announcing that ‘Court Restrains Secondus from parading himself as national chairman, member of the PDP.
“If Secondus and the party are taken to court, they will defend themselves. The PDP and Secondus are not afraid of court. This party is a child of history, owned by Nigerians, bigger than any individual or group, including desperadoes,” Abonyi wrote.
Analysts said the recent action is connected with the failure of Secondus’ national working committee to conduct a national executive council meeting as recently directed by the expanded board of trustees meeting of the party.
The BOT, at a recent meeting to resolve the face-off between Secondus and some aggrieved leaders of the PDP, particularly Wike, decided that Secondus should continue in office and that a NEC be summoned to constitute the members of the national convention of the party slated for the end of October, 2021.
