The National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, says only the National Executive Committee of the party has powers to discipline him or any member of the National Working Committee.
Secondus stated this in a statement by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, in Abuja, while reacting to his suspension by his ward executives in Rivers State.
He said that Article 59(3) of the PDP Constitution states clearly that only the NEC has such power to discipline NEC members of the party.
He said: “The media office of Secondus ordinarily should not be responding to every ‘noise’ in the media being engineered by those who set out to distract and destroy the PDP.
“But it is our responsibility to guide those who are easily persuaded by news in the media hence this response.
“Such action is a mere wish as Article 59(3) of the PDP constitution states clearly that only the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party can discipline the National Chairman or any other National officer of the party.”
Secondus urged members of the public and the media to be wary of agents who were out to distract the PDP from its focus of rescuing Nigeria.
The PDP Ward 5 in Ikuru town, Andoni in Rivers State on Wednesday suspended Secondus from the party.
His suspension was announced by the PDP Ward Chairman, George Christopher, at the party’s extraordinary meeting in Ikuru town, saying 11 of the 17 executive members endorsed the suspension.
Christopher accused Secondus of not attracting development to the area in spite of his exalted political profile, adding that his inability to manage the affairs of the party was also a bad reputation to the area.
He said: “The Ward 5 executive of the PDP in Ikuru town on August 31 discussed issues affecting the party.
“The ward executive suspended Secondus after a duly constituted meeting convened by the secretary on the instructions of the chairman in accordance with the party’s constitution.”
Also, former Chairman of Andoni Local Government Council and Chairman, Disciplinary Committee in the ward, Benson Alpheus, said Secondus was suspended for disobeying the party’s decision to step down as national chairman.
“Until further notice, Secondus remains suspended. For now, until you hear from us again, Secondus remains suspended,” Alpheus added.
A Rivers State High Court had on August 23 granted an interim order restraining Secondus from parading himself as the national chairman and member of the PDP.
Justice Okogbule Gbasam of the Degema Judicial Division, presiding over a vacation court in Port Harcourt, granted the order, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
This made the party on August 25 to adopt its Deputy National Chairman (South), Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, as acting chairman.
In another twist, another court of coordinate jurisdiction in Kebbi State on August 26 restored the embattled National Chairman to his position.
However, on August 27, another High Court in Cross River State granted an interim order restraining Secondus from resuming office as the national chairman of the PDP.
Edem Kooffreh, the presiding Judge, gave the order on Friday, while ruling on a motion ex parte marked HC/240/2021, and filed by Enang Wani.
The court barred Secondus from presiding over any meeting of the party until the motion is heard.
Meanwhile, the PDP NEC in an effort to resolve the leadership crisis approved October 30 for the party’s elective National Convention, scheduled for Abuja, to usher in a new leadership.
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