PDP chieftain: Kebbi court lacks jurisdiction to restore Secondus as chairman

Silas Onu, a lawyer and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the Kebbi high court lacks the jurisdiction to return Uche Secondus as national chairman of the party.

On Thursday, in a motion ex parte brought in a suit marked KB/AC/M.170/2021, Nusirat Umar, Kebbi high court judge, ordered the suspension of the Rivers high court order suspending Secondus as national chairman, pending when the suit is heard and concluded.

Speaking on the matter on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, on Friday, Onu said the judgment by the Kebbi court “tends towards judicial rascality”.

He said only the Rivers high court has the jurisdiction to issue judgment on the case, and as such, the ruling by the Kebbi high court is null and void.

“Regarding the judgment that came from Kebbi, one is curious as to what the content of the processes are before that judge, whether it’s an appeal against the decision of a high court of Rivers state that another court reversed or is a fresh case concerning the position of the national chairmanship of the PDP? I don’t think Kebbi high court has jurisdiction,” he said.

“This tends towards judicial rascality by the judge who gave the order. This is the issue of the Rivers state PDP and Secondus, not that of Kebbi. It was his local government and state that took an action that was against his interest.

“It is in the interest of the party that he steps aside and goes back to that court and get that order vacated. The order of the Rivers high court is still valid and subsisting. The Kebbi high court cannot vacate it.”

Reacting to this, Sani Umar, former spokesperson for the PDP presidential campaign, said following the Kebbi court order, Secondus will resume office today to continue discharging his duties as chairman.

He said the Kebbi high court has the same jurisdiction as that of Rivers to issue the judgment restoring him as the chairman of the party.

“Before Uche Secondus can return to his position, a court must also issue an order directing him to do so in line with the rule of law,” he said.

“Today, we’re going to see Uche Secondus in his office discharging the duties he was elected for over a mandate of four years.”