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Tag: Secondus

  • JUST IN: New twist as another court reinstates Secondus as PDP National Chairman

    JUST IN: New twist as another court reinstates Secondus as PDP National Chairman

    The Kebbi State High Court on Thursday ordered Secondus to return to his position as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), days after he was removed from the post.

    The presiding judge, Justice Nusirat Umar said she was satisfied after reading the affidavit of the respondents that an interim order should be granted on the purported suspension of Prince Secondus pending the determination of the case.

    She gave the order in a suit brought before her in Birnin Kebbi in case KB/AC/M. 170/2021.

    “An order of this honourable court granting leave to the first respondent (Uche Secondus) to continue exercising all the constitutional powers of the office of Chairman of PDP (second defendant) as enshrined in both 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended and the Peoples Democratic Party’s constitution pending the hearing and final determination of applicant’s motion on notice,” the order read.

    The three concerned members of the party, Yahaya Usman, Abubakar Mohammed and Bashar Suleman are the claimants/applicants in the case while Prince Secondus and the PDP are the defendants/respondents.

     

  • Secondus reacts to fresh order stopping him from parading self as PDP National Chairman

    Secondus reacts to fresh order stopping him from parading self as PDP National Chairman

    Embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus has reacted a court order restraining him from acting or parading himself as the leader of the opposition party.

    His reaction follows the ruling of Justice Okogbule Gbasam of the Degema Division of the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.

    “If Secondus and the party are taken to court, they will defend themselves,” Secondus’ media aide, Ike Abonyi, said in a statement on Monday.

    “PDP and Secondus are not afraid of court; this party is a child of history, owned by Nigerians, bigger than any individual or group, including desperadoes.”

    Abonyi, however, claimed that the story of the restraining order originated through the special assistant on media to the Rivers State Governor.

    Justice Gbasam made the order while ruling on a motion ex parte marked PHC/2183/CS/2021 and filed by four persons – Ibeawuchi Alex, Dennis Amadi, Emmanuel Stephen, and Umeziriki Onucha.

    Secondus and the main opposition party were listed as the first and second respondents to the suit.

    Amid calls for the resignation of the PDP national chairman, seven national officers of the party resigned from their roles on August 3.

    The affected officers claimed that they were being side-lined and treated unfairly by Secondus, but the PDP national chairman denied the allegation.

    Two days later, members of the PDP Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting to resolve the crisis in the party.

    Barely a few weeks to the meeting of the party leaders, the controversy took a new twist with the court order restraining Secondus from parading as the PDP national chairman, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

    Justice Gbasam also made an order restraining the PDP national chairman from parading as a member of the party, or other related functions.

    He also granted the request to serve by substituted means all orders made by the court on the respondents and by publishing same in a newspaper.

  • 2023: Secondus, other PDP leaders in closed door meeting with Obasanjo

    2023: Secondus, other PDP leaders in closed door meeting with Obasanjo

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday hosted the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    Mr Secondus arrived at the penthouse of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta accompanied by other leaders of the party at some minutes past 12 p.m.

    They immediately went into a private meeting with Mr Obasanjo.

    Recall the former president is no longer a member of the PDP, having exited the party in 2015.

    The visit is coming when some leaders of the party are calling for Mr Secondus’ removal.

    Last week, there were protests at the National Secretariat of the PDP in Abuja, as party members asked Mr Secondus to resign. But the party chairman has, however, said he would not step down.

  • People will hold me responsible if PDP implodes under Secondus – Wike

    People will hold me responsible if PDP implodes under Secondus – Wike

    Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said his decision to speak out when things are taking a wrong turn in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should not be seen as a personal vendetta against embattled chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.

    Wike said his primary concern was to salvage the PDP from an impending doom occasioned by inert leadership.

    He said: “Everybody believed that whatever the national chairman was doing was dictated by Wike and must have the backing of Wike. I believe when you support somebody, support him to succeed.

    “But when things are also going wrong, if you don’t speak out, people will believe you are part of it. Therefore, I owe it as a duty to say things are not going right.”

    The governor accused some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) particularly, the National Organising Secretary, Col. Austin Akobundu, of stirring crisis in the party because of his governorship ambition.

    He warned that the PDP should be wary of agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC), bent on causing division and destabilising the party.

    He said some of the persons causing problems in the party include some former governors and ministers.

    The governor said that he did not have problems with the former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubarkar and was not aware if Atiku wanted to contest the presidency in 2023 because PDP has not yet zoned the presidency.

    Wike who spoke as a guest on a television programme in Port Harcourt said the resolution of the internal crisis rocking the PDP allayed his initial fear of possible implosion of the party.

    He noted that the manner in which PDP governors and Board of Trustee members resolved the crisis had given Nigerians hope that the party was prepared to take over the realms of power from the ruling APC in 2023.

    The governor in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, explained that it was not uncommon for a political party to experience internal squabble in view of the forthcoming poll and varying interests, but commended PDP governors for coming together to speak with one voice to end the differences.

    He said: “I use to be afraid of possibility of an implosion and that could have been the end of the party. But what I saw on Monday gave me a lot of confidence for the first time. I have never seen that happen, the way the governors came together and spoke in a convivial manner with no dissenting view. I was impressed.”

    Commenting on the recent court judgement on Value Added Tax (VAT) and other related taxes in the state, the governor said the state approached the court to seek an end to perceived infraction of its rights and powers.

    Wike, who accused the Federal Government of emasculating states by usurping their constitutional rights and powers, revealed that the Federal Inland Revenue had surreptitiously written to the National Assembly to amend the Constitution and make collection of VAT exclusive to the Federal government.

    He said: “The Federal Inland Revenue wrote a letter to the National Assembly to amend the constitution to make VAT to be in the exclusive list. So, we intercepted that letter and brought it to court because they know that under the law, it is not within their powers to collect these taxes.

    “And in order to solve the problem, they wrote a letter to the National Assembly to amend the constitution to make them have the exclusive right. If they were right, they wouldn’t have done that.”

    The governor revealed that he had already sent a bill to the Rivers State Assembly to empower the state government to collect VAT and other related taxes in the state.

  • PDP crisis: Secondus saved as party fixes quick date for national convention

    PDP crisis: Secondus saved as party fixes quick date for national convention

    In their bid to curb the leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), major stakeholders in the party reached a resolution to hold its national convention at an earlier date (end of October, 2021).

    The party made the announcement on Tuesday after a closed-door meeting of PDP’s major stakeholders in Abuja.

    At the meeting which was attended by governors, former governors, serving and former National Assembly members among others, the party posited that the National Executive Committee, NEC to constitute a committee to zone national elective and party positions.

    Fortunately for PDP chairman, Uche Secondus, who has been troubled recently by calls for his resignation; resolutions reached by the party today still gives his office a cover until the convention slated for October.

    Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto state and chairman of the PDP governors forum, issued a communique on Tuesday after a closed-door meeting of the party stakeholders in Abuja.

    The communique read thus:

    The PDP Stakeholders held a meeting on Tuesday 10th August, 2021, at Wadata Plaza,, Abuja on the recent developments in the PDP.

    There were extensive consultations with all major stakeholders in the Party including the Governors, members of the Board of Trustees, former Presiding Officers and current Principal officers and Leaders from the National Assembly, former Governors, former Ministers, and indeed other leaders of the Party with a view to bringing all tendencies within the Party together in view of the urgent task facing the Party as the only viable vehicle to checkmate the abysmally poor governance of the APC led Federal Government.

    The meeting deliberated extensively on the issues thrown up and resolved as follows:

    a. That the Constitution, traditions and practices of the Party should be strictly adhered to in finding solutions to any problems.

    b. That all parties should sheath their sword in the greater interest of the PDP and the need to RESCUE Nigeria from the avoidable National malaise and drift occasioned by the APC administration.

    c. That all processes leading to an early National Convention in October be immediately activated by relevant Party organs, especially National Executive Committee (NEC).

    d. That the Party should redouble efforts to provide a credible alternative leadership for Nigeria as it still remains the only hope for the Nigerian people for good governance.

    e. The meeting requested the NEC to immediately constitute a Zoning Committee for Party Offices and another Committee for National elective Offices.

    f. The meeting expressed appreciation to Party elders for their commitment and wisdom in handling Party affairs.

    g. We shall overcome and restore peace, security and development once again to Nigeria.

  • Day Two: Anti-Secondus protest continue in PDP secretariat as govs, lawmakers meet

    Day Two: Anti-Secondus protest continue in PDP secretariat as govs, lawmakers meet

    Aggrieved youths in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP on Tuesday continued their protest march around the premises of the national secretariat of the PDP in Abuja to demand for the resignation of the national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.

    The protesters under the aegis of “Save PDP Group,” had commenced their action, on Monday carrying placards of different inscriptions some of which read: “PDP is bigger than Secondus,” “Resign Now Mr Chairman,” “Secondus must go,” “Who are you working for to destroy PDP?”

    Today, they re-mobilised in larger numbers, and at first gathered at the main gate of the secretariat where their leaders addressed them before embarking on a march along Dalaba Street in the Wuse Zone 5 area hosting the Wadata Plaza edifice of the PDP.

  • PDP crisis: Time fast ticking for Secondus as northern group insists he resigns within 48hrs

    PDP crisis: Time fast ticking for Secondus as northern group insists he resigns within 48hrs

    Emman Ovuakporie

    Time is fast ticking for embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Uche Secondus as a northern group has given him 48 hours to vacate his chairmanship of the main opposition party in Nigeria.
    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports the Coalition of Northern Democrats has called on Prince Uche Secondus to step down as national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP within 48 hours.
    The group declared that he has brought chaos and incompetence to the administration of Nigeria’s main opposition party.

    Engineer Usman Dan Gaske Amadu, chairman of the group made the call on Thursday against the background of agitations for the immediate exit of Secondus as national chairman of the PDP.

    The group insisted that, Secondus must vacate his chairmanship because the party cannot at this time lose Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike to APC.

    The Northern group commended the Rivers state Governor, Mr Nyesome Wike for being the viable opposition figure who is always protecting the good image of the party,” the group said in its declaration calling on Secondus to step down as PDP chairman.

    “We must identify ourselves with Mr Wike because of his concern for the party. He always mobilized the financial support for the party.

    “He (Wike) is the rallying point of the opposition in Nigeria today. We will not allow him to leave PDP for the ruling party as a result of poor leadership of Mr Secondus”.

    ” People must sacrifice their personal interest for unity and progress to be our guide,” the group said in round up the call for Secondus to step down as PDP chairman.

    TNG recalls that the embattled Secondus has been under the grill since some notable members of the party’s NWC threw in the towel alleging that he has been running the party like his personal business.

  • PDP Bot frustrates Wike’s plot to remove Secondus, calls for tenure completion for party chair

    PDP Bot frustrates Wike’s plot to remove Secondus, calls for tenure completion for party chair

    The Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees on Thursday stood against the plot to sack the Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee and replace it with an interim caretaker committee.

    Following the board’s meeting which held yesterday in Abuja , the board Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, members insisted that the National Chairman, Secondus, should be allowed to complete his tenure which would soon end.

    According to reports, the party leaders faulted what they termed as uncomplimentary remarks by some party leaders, including the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, against the NWC.

    The national chairman had been battling to retain his position as Wike pushed for his removal before the party’s National Executive Council meeting and the national convention.

    According to the report, Secondus’ opponents reasoned that the national chairman would install his loyalists as members of the convention committee thus paving the way for his re-election.

    It was alleged that Tuesday’s resignation of seven members of NEC was part of the moves to oust the national chairman and set up a caretaker committee, which would organise the next national convention.

    At Thursday’s BoT meeting, it was learnt that the seven NEC members, who resigned, were asked to withdraw their resignation.

    Findings also indicated that members insisted that Secondus should be allowed to end his tenure.

    It was gathered the meeting, which was held behind closed doors, afforded party leaders the opportunity to speak frankly to one another.

    A member of the board, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said, “ Based on the outcome of the meeting today, members want Secondus to finish his tenure, We are not in support of any interim arrangement. We spoke frankly to one another and apportioned blame where we needed to. We looked at the bigger picture, the interest of our party.

    “Most of the speakers expressed dissatisfaction with uncomplimentary remarks about our chairman by one of our leaders who was present.

    “Referring to our leaders as ‘tax collectors’ and ‘liars‘ was an insult on all of us and we said so.

    “Of course, there were those who spoke up about the shoddy treatment our chairman had given them over matters he was expected to handle better but did not.

    “Some of our senior party leaders who recently left did so in anger because they felt badly treated in their state chapters despite staying with the party through its most difficult times.

    “He was also told in clear terms to improve his relationship and interaction with members because politics is a game that also involves a lot of egos.”

    Recall, on June 23, 2020, Wike said, “Some NWC members are tax collectors” while announcing his withdrawal from the Edo PDP reconciliation committee.

    After Thursday’s BoT meeting, a former President of the Senate, David Mark who addressed journalists, said, “We resolved at the meeting to set up a committee that will look at the situation.

    “The committee is made up of the governors, members of the BoT, members of the National Assembly, all the members of the National Working Committee, former governors, former ministers, so that they can holistically resolve the problems.“

    The former Senate President expressed confidence that the peace move “will not only stop the current crises, it will lead to providing a better environment to make us far more United and make us stronger as a party.“

    He also dispelled speculations t Wike was summoned to the meeting. Mark explained that Wike attended the meeting as a BoT member.

    Also, the BoT Chairman, Jibrin, described the meeting as “frank and sincere“. He expressed confidence that all the issues would soon be resolved.

    In his remarks, former Senate President Bukola Saraki said, “We all came together to address some issues and because of the urgency of the matter, we agreed to set up this committee urgently and within the next 48 to 72 hours, they will meet and at the end of that meeting, the country will see where the direction the party is going.

    “The commitment of everybody to attend that meeting and subject themselves to the decision of that meeting shows the interest of everybody.

    “The presence of all of us here is because this meeting of today is important in addressing some of those issues.

    “My own message to Nigerians is that we know the importance of this party to this nation in addressing the challenges ahead of us. So let us come together as a party and salvage this country.“

    Earlier, in his address of welcome, Secondus urged members of the board to consider the work so far done and the fact that any disruption of the move towards a peaceful transition in December would not be in the party’s best interest.

    He said, “This is the first time in the history of our party, regardless of divergence of opinions that this current NWC has been in office and nearly three months to the convention that we will be ending this regime in a smooth transition that will be taking place without rancour or problem.

    “Let me report to the BoT that of truth based on what the Chairman of the BoT has said, that seven deputies members of the principal working committee resigned.

    “We met with them, the first day they brought their letters and we also met with them yesterday.

    “We quickly deployed the internal conflict resolution mechanism so that the issues are not escalated to the point that our party will be greatly damaged.

    “You are aware that the National Youth Leader took a stand that is outside the conduct of our normal process of settling grievances and thereafter he on his own has been going on, on the wide-scale allegations and so forth.“

    “My opinion is that anything contrary to the smooth running of our party, towards these three months that is remaining will not be good enough for our party.“

    Meanwhile, the Rivers State governor refuted every attempts made by newsmen to engage him on the matter. As soon as he stepped out of the PDP National Executive Council Meeting Hall at the Wadata Plaza, National Secretariat of the party, a group of reporters and cameraman approached him for an interview, he simply walked into his waiting SUV and left.

    On the otherside, a statement issued by his Media Office, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar appealed to aggrieved party members to give peace a chance.

    In a statement titled, “PDP: Atiku calls for calm, urges reconciliation process be given a chance,’ signed by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku said those who wanted Nigerians to continue with the current hardship in the land would be eager to fuel the crisis in the PDP for their political advantage.”

    The former Vice President called on PDP leaders to unite for the sake of the party’s interest and the country.

    Also, six-officio members of the party called for calm. In a statement signed on their behalf by Yunnana Illiya and Chief Okey Aro, they said,” We consider the recent resignation of some members of the National Executive Committee of our party, following allegations of abandonment against our National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus as hasty and ill-advised. It is our considered opinion that they should have explored internal dispute resolution mechanism to resolve their grievances.

    Those at the BOT meeting include PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, National Secretary, Senator Umar Ibrahim Tsauri and Deputy National Chairman North, Senator Suleiman Nazif

    Immediate Past President of Saraki, former president of the Senate, Mark, former President of the Senate, Adolphus Ndaneweh Wabara

    Former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi, former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, Chief Tom Ikimi, former Katisna State Governor, Ibrahim Shema, former Cross Rivers State Governor, Liyel Imoke, Chief Olisa Metuh, former Osun State Governor, Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola

  • Drama as Wike walks into PDP BoT Meeting during Secondus’ opening speech

    Drama as Wike walks into PDP BoT Meeting during Secondus’ opening speech

    There was a mild drama on Thursday as Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike stormed the venue where members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were meeting.

    Wike’s sudden appearance at the meeting must have unsettled the meeting as Governors are not members of the BoT and do not attend the party’s BoT meetings.

    The Rivers Governor had walked into the National Executive Committee (NEC) hall where the meeting was being held when the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus was delivering his opening address.

    Many eyes turned to behold the arrival of the Governor who promptly took his seat among the attendees.

    As of the time of filing this report, it could not be ascertained if the Governor was attending the meeting on the invitation of the BoT.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that Wike has been at loggerheads with Secondus for the past few months and he is widely believed to be the mastermind of ongoing plots to remove the party chairman from office.

    The party is currently bedeviled with massive resignations, defection of its governors and other top officials to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The embattled chairman on Wednesday fingered one of the governors elected on the part’s platform as being responsible for the party crisis.

    More details soon…

  • Secondus hits Gov Wike hard: Destructive Father Christmas in PDP using gifts to hijack our party’s soul

    Secondus hits Gov Wike hard: Destructive Father Christmas in PDP using gifts to hijack our party’s soul

    Uche Secondus, the National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a thinly veiled attack on his once benefactor, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, has urged stakeholders to be wary of a “strong party chieftain” who is bent on disrupting the party for his selfish ambition.

    He asked the faithful to follow the party’s constitution in order to resolve current challenges in the party.

    On Tuesday, seven members of the national executive committee resigned over maladministration of the party.

    But Mr Secondus, in a statement on Wednesday by his Media Office, signed by Ike Abonyi, titled “Who is after Secondus and Why is somebody in love of Caretaker?” laid out the issues.

    He noted that the answers to the posers would help members of the public to decipher the recent disquiet in the PDP.

    “The answers will also help the public to know why in a few months to PDP national convention, somebody is routing for a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party,” Mr Secondus said.

    He said he was privy to an intelligence report that a strong party chieftain, bent on hijacking the party’s structure for destruction, was behind the whole thing.

    “Reports reaching the media office shows clearly that this character is deploying all devious means to try and diminish the person and character of the national chairman, with a view to having his way of ultimately hijacking the structure for his disproportionately large ambition.

    “We therefore wish to alert the general public, particularly media houses and party stakeholders to look out for strange deployment of luring gifts from this destructive ‘Father Christmas’, all aimed at having a grip on the soul of our party by having a caretaker committee.

    “What continues to shock many party observers is the real reason behind the desperation of this man to get at the National Chairman and the quantum of public funds being expended to achieve this illicit goal, few months to the National Convention.

    “Few months to the National Convention, anybody who means well for this party and who is a true democrat, will respect the constitution of the party and approach issues dispassionately, ” he said.

    He assured all critical stakeholders of the party that reasonable steps were being taken to ensure that the image and status of the party was not injured by all those needless noise and scheming by the alleged desperadoes.