Court affirms Peoples Democratic Party convention, dismisses Secondus’ suit
The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt Division, Rivers State has ordered that the National Convention of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) on Saturday and Sunday should go on, and dismissed a suit by the suspended national chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, aimed at stopping the party’s convention.
Penpushing reports that Secondus had filed the suit marked: CA/PH/339/2021 seeking, among others, to restrain the party from conducting its national convention which is scheduled to hold in Abuja on October 30 and 31.
The embattled chairman position has been under threat after the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt restrained him from further parading himself as the party’s chairman on August 25, 2021
Penpushing reports that, the three –man panel of judges led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, however, found no merit in Secondus’ appeal, pointing out that he voluntarily relinquished his office since he did not challenge his removal at ward and local government levels.
The Judge, Justice O. Gbasam issued the order following an ex parte application filed by four applicants, while the plaintiffs include; Ibeawuchi Alex, Dennis Amadi, Emmanuel Stephen, and Umezerike Onucha.
Penpushing further reports that, Secondus and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were the defendants sued in the suit marked PHC/2183/CS/2021, while details of the applicants’ grouse against Secondus were not contained in the document which appeared online.
The court order indicated that the applicants’ lawyer, H.A Bello, argued his clients’ ex parte application after which the court granted the interim restraining orders sought against Secondus.
Penpushing also reports that, the judge having listened to the applicants’ lawyer, restrained Secondus from parading himself as a member or the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP).
The court also barred Secondus from performing the functions of the national chairman of the party “or calling, attending or presiding over any meeting of the 2nd defendant (PDP) or any committee of the 2nd defendant at the Ward, Local Government or State level”.
Penpushing reports that, the court equally stopped him from calling for any ward, local government or state congress of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) or setting up committees for such congresses or participating in any activity of the 2nd defendant whatsoever.
However, Secondus two days after the Rivers State High Court issued the order,obtained a counter-order from the Kebbi State High Court which restored him to office, but another High Court of Cross River State again issued another counter order suspending him from office.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, had described the spate of the counter-orders issued as ex parte orders as an embarrassment to the Nigerian judiciaryand summoned the Chief Judges of the relevant courts which issued the orders in the cases and other ones, while three judges are now facing National Judicial Council (NJC) investigation over the matter
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