Court restrains Secondus from resuming office as PDP national chairman

A high court sitting in Cross River state has granted an interim order restraining Uche Secondus from resuming office as the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (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.

“An order of interim injunction restraining the first defendant (Secondus) from presiding over the national executive committee meeting of the 2nd Defendant scheduled to hold on Saturday, the 28th of August, 2012 or any subsequent meeting of the national executive committee of the second defendant and from presiding over any meeting of any organ of the second defendant or attending any of such meetings of functions in the capacity of national chairman of the party or in any other manner or form attempting to forcefully gain entrance into any such meetings or into the premises of the second defendant as national chairman of the party pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice,” the judge ruled.

The court also restrained the PDP from recognising or granting Secondus the powers due to the office of the national chairman.

“An order of interim injunction restraining the second defendant, its members, officers and agents from recognising the first defendant as its national chairman or from according him any of the powers, rights or privileges due to the holder of the office of the National chairman of the 2 Defendant pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice,” the ruling reads.

Kooffreh also ruled that the notice of the ruling be served to the parties by substituted means by “pasting at the entrance of the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at Wadata Plaza, Plot 1970, Michael Okpara Street, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria and by publication in two (2) National Newspapers in Nigeria”.

The crisis rocking the PDP is far from ending as multiple courts judgment are frustrating peace-making efforts by the party’s leaders.

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

The party subsequently named Yemi Akinwonmi, deputy national chairman (south) of the PDP, as the acting chairman of the party on Thursday.

But hours later, a Kebbi state high court ordered the return of Secondus as national chairman of the party.