Akinwonmi, acting PDP chairman, presides as NEC meets in Abuja

Yemi Akinwonmi, acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is currently presiding over a meeting of the national executive committee (NEC) at the party’s headquarters in Abuja. 

Uche Secondus, suspended national chairman of the party, had asked Akinwonmi to preside over the meeting after a high court in Cross River restrained him from resuming as the chairman of the party.

“I hereby request you to preside over the National Executive Committee meeting of the Party, taking place today, 28th August, 2021@ 12 noon, in my absence,” Secondus said in a statement on Saturday.

There was controversy as to who will preside over the NEC meeting after a high court sitting in Kebbi ordered that Secondus retains his position as national chairman of the party.

But on Friday, a high court sitting in Cross River state barred Secondus from resuming office as the national chairman of the PDP.

Secondus was suspended on Monday after a high court in Rivers state granted an interim order restraining him from parading himself as the national chairman of the PDP.

In compliance with the court order, the party’s national working committee (NWC) at its meeting on Thursday, named Akinwonmi, the national deputy chairman (south), as the acting national chairman.

TheCable learnt that NEC will deliberate and come up with resolutions on how to organise the national convention scheduled for October 30 and 31.

The members of the convention planning committee and the venue are also expected to be determined by NEC.

While addressing members before the meeting went into a closed-door session, Akinwonmi thanked the governors elected on the platform of the party for their role in resolving the crisis in the party.

Those attending the meeting include Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, Anyim Pius Anyim, former secretary to the government of the federation, PDP governors, former and current lawmakers, among others.