Tag: Secondus

  • Looters list: FG, APC desperate to blackmail me – Secondus

    The National Chairman of the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government and ruling all progressives congress are desperate to frame him (Secondus) so as to silence him.

    In a statement signed by his media adviser, Ike Abonyi, Mr Secondus said blackmail and intimidation of the opposition by the federal government would not stop him from carrying out the reform of his party.

    Recall that the federal government released a list of looters in which the PDP chairman was alleged to have collected N200 million from the office of then National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

    The attention of the media office of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Uche Secondus, has been drawn to the desperation of the federal government and its ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to frame him up with some blatant fabrications ostensibly to distract him from carrying out his responsibility of rebuilding his party.”

    The media office said Mr Secondus would ordinarily not join issues with the government on a matter already in court, “but regrettably the administration has great contempt for the court and the rule of law and has instead chosen to use blackmail and media persecution to defame and discredit their enemies.”

    This gimmick, according to Mr Secondus, has failed because Nigerians have come to know the antics of the “drowning” government.

    In its desperation to forge documents and defame him, forgot to reconcile their lies; the Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the EFCC couldn’t agree on the date of the purported money collection and whether it was collected by him Secondus or by a faceless fictional Chukwura that has no surname.

    While they may have embarked on a wide search since 2015 for the surname of the so-called aide of the National Chairman, Alhaji Mohammad claimed in his press conference on Good Friday March 29th, 2018 that Secondus collected the money on 19th of February, 2015, EFCC on their part on April 16th, 2018, eighteen days after said the money was collected on February 9th, 2015 and in another version still quoting the same EFCC claimed February 2, 2015.”

    The PDP chairman also described as unfortunate and tragic that an anti-corruption agency like EFCC founded and nurtured by PDP administration to tackle corruption in the system had turned itself into a “pawn” in the hands of APC administration to witchhunt and harass perceived enemies of government just to impress and keep job.

    He challenged the government and any agency with anything against him to bring such evidence to the court and stop character assassination in the media.

    There’s no need to be talking about a case pending in court in the newspapers. If the government has anything to say, they should file it before the court as demanded.”

    He challenged the government to come out with the vouchers with which he was said to have signed, adding that such signature would also be subjected to forensic analysis.

    I never collected any money from anywhere. I didn’t ask anyone to collect money for me as well and I didn’t sign any voucher to collect any money.

    It is pure blackmail which will never work.

    If they are cooking up anything, with the aim of blackmailing me, it will fail. I know that the task of uprooting this non-performing government would be horrendous. But God is always on the side of the people.

    I can understand the frustration of a party that enjoyed enormous goodwill from Nigerians three years ago but got it squandered with its ‘nepotic’ and insensitive administration.

    No amount of cheap blackmail and treachery will return the APC from the exit gate where Nigerians already pushed them to, awaiting 2019.

    The departure date for the APC has already been announced and the flight schedule would not be cancelled, because Nigerians cannot wait to see them off,” the spokesperson said.

     

  • Secondus collected N250m from Dasuki for ‘special duties’ — EFCC

    …provide evidences that I receive such money, Secondus fires back at EFCC

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has alleged that the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, allegedly received N250m from the Office of the National Security Adviser under the leadership of the embattled former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.)

    This was revealed in a report released by the anti-graft agency.

    The report stated that Secondus allegedly received the money during the build-up to the 2015 general elections.

    Secondus, who was the Deputy Chairman (South) of the PDP at the time, allegedly collected the money for ‘special duties.’

    The report partly read, “Uche Secondus received N200m in cash from the ONSA with voucher 0244. His Special Adviser, one Chukwurah, signed for the money on his behalf on February 2, 2015. Earlier, he had collected N50m which was personally received by him on November 7, 2014.

    The funds were approved by Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) for unknown reasons but were merely referred to as ‘special duties.’”

    The report also accused Secondus and erstwhile Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, as well as the lawmaker representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District, Senator Bassey Akpan, of receiving vehicles worth about N1.1bn from Babajide Omokore, an oil magnate standing trial before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

    According to the report, the vehicles which ranged from Mercedes Benz luxury cars to campaign buses and trucks were bought with the proceeds of fraud.

    The report added, “Adamu Mu’azu received vehicles worth N504, 500, 000 including a Benz G63 worth N45m between May and August 2014.

    Secondus received vehicles worth N310m. On June 28, 2013, he received a Benz G63 worth N36m; on April 8, 2014, he received two Toyota Hilux vehicles worth N14m. On July 8, 2014, he received 10 Hiace buses worth N90m while on November 13, 2014, he received 15 Hiace mid-roof buses worth N120m. He also received a N50m Range Rover Biography SUV.”

    The report accused Senator Bassey Akpan of receiving vehicles worth N303m from Omokore while he was the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Finance as well as the Chairman of the Inter-ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee whose job was to ensure that government projects were completed using direct labour approach to save some money for the state.

    Two of Omokore’s companies – Bay Atlantic Energy and Sahel Energy – were said to have received contracts from the committee headed by Akpan.

    The report added, “Senator Bassey Akpan received a BMW X5 BP worth N50m; an Infinity QX56BP worth N45m; a Range Rover worth N40m; three Toyota Hiace buses worth N27m; two Toyota Hiace High-roof buses worth N16m, six Toyota Hilux D cabin vehicles worth N42m as well as other vehicles worth N83m.

    He received the vehicles from Omokore while heading a committee which was giving contracts to the same Omokore.

    He has been invited on several occasions but he has refused to show up. He was supposed to come to the EFCC office on Monday (yesterday) but he refused to come.”

    But Secondus has described the claim by the anti-graft agency as a blackmail and a continuation of what he described as media trial.

    He said there were plans to blackmail and discredit the main opposition party and its leadership.

    He however said the plan would not work.

    Secondus, who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Ike Abonyi, asked the agency or anyone with proof of the allegations to come to court.

    Abonyi said, “Secondus is already in court on this matter and that is all. It is a continuation of media trial and blackmail.

    He has said he did not collect any money and he had challenged anyone with contrary proof to meet him in court and testify against him.

    There’s no need to be talking about a case pending in court in the newspapers. If the government has anything to say, they should file it before the court as demanded.”

    Also speaking, Secondus told one of our correspondents that he knew that the government would not stop at anything to tarnish his image.

    But he said that the move would fail.

    He challenged the government to come out with the vouchers with which he was said to have signed, adding that such signature would also be subjected to forensic analysis.

    He said, “I never collected any money from anywhere. I didn’t ask anyone to collect money for me as well and I didn’t sign any voucher to collect any money.

    It is pure blackmail which will never work. I have gone to court and I expect them to challenge me in court and come and testify against me.

    If they are cooking up anything, with the aim of blackmailing me, it will fail. I know that the task of uprooting this non-performing government would be horrendous. But God is always on the side of the people.”

     

  • Corruption: Lai Mohammed lied; I never collected a dime from Dasuki – Secondus

    …Threatens court action against Lai Mohammed

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Uche Secondus, has challenged the Minister of Culture and Information Alhaji Lai Mohammed to be ready to prove his allegation that the he collected N200m from the purse of the National Security Adviser (NSA).


    Secondus gave the threat in a statement issued by his spokesman, Mr Ike Abonyi, on Friday in Abuja.


    He said that his attention was drawn to a press conference addressed by Mohammed on March 30 in Lagos claiming that he (Secondus) collected N200m from the office of the former NSA.


    The PDP leader is challenging Mohammed to be ready to establish his allegations in court immediately.


    Secondus said that the agenda of the minister was to damage his reputation and distract him from serving PDP, adding that such agenda would fail woefully “For the purposes of some gullible public, Prince Secondus never collected any money from the NSA under any guise.


    Also listed at the news conference by Mohammed were former PDP Financial Secretary who allegedly collected N600 million from the same source on the Oct. 24, 2014.


    “Then National Publicity Secretary Olisah Metuh, who is on trial for collecting N1.4 billion from the office of then NSA.


    “Dr Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of DAAR Communications, on trial for taking N2.1 billion from the office of then NSA.


    “Former SSA to President Jonathan, Dudafa Waripamo-Owei, on trial over N830 million kept in accounts of four different companies.


    “Former President Jonathan’s Cousin Robert Azibaol, – on Thursday, a Federal High Court ruled that he has a case to answer for collecting $40 million from the office of then NSA,”

    Mohammed also listed as part of the response to an earlier challenge by the PDP asking the federal to name the country’s looters.


    Also, the PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary described the teasing list released by the Federal Government as hollow and laughable.

     

     

     

  • PDP’ll rescue Nigerians from pains inflicted by APC – Secondus

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on Nigerians – youth and adults – to embrace the renewed effort toward rebuilding the nation in order to tackle the menace of insecurity, economic hardship and other challenges Nigerians are experiencing under the present All Progressives Congress (APC) government.

    The National Chairman of the Party, Uche Secondus, during the PDP National discourse held today in Abuja under the theme ‘Nation Building: Resetting the Agenda,’ called on Nigerians to rescue the nation by voting in a transparent government that will serve the people’s interest.

    Describing PDP as a democratic party, Secondus noted party’s motto ‘Power to the people’ made PDP handover power to the opposition in 2015 as that is the demand of the people.

    “Today…It is not only our party but the generality of Nigerians who are in pain and by the grace of God we thought it necessary that this is the time for this conversation. You need competence, capability,capacity, experience to govern a complex state like Nigeria, and this is clearly lacking in the ruling government, however PDP has gathered this needed experience over the years.

    He added: “As PDP, we are evolving from who we were to who we ought to be. A principled party of avowed democrats who are committed to building a strong nation whether we are in government or opposition. We are a party that has been through various challenges, ups and downs, good and bad, failure and success, promotion and demotion and yet we are still standing.

    “We are a party that despite our differences possesses a strong unity of purpose. We are a party that has lost and won; celebrated and mourned. We spot talent and nurture them and our track record speaks eloquently for us. Our appeal is universal regardless of ethnicity, creed or religion.”

    He however said the Party could not do it alone but rather wants Nigerians to concert their efforts to ‘Rescue Nigeria.’ He charged responsible and responsive citizens to: Register to vote, hold elected leaders accountable, seek only candidates that will deliver, vote by voting right and support the ‘Rescue Nigeria’ initiative in its entirety.

    Today, Nigeria’s image has nosedived. On corruption, the latest transparency international index in Nigeria has worsened; APC cannot fulfill their promises, so they resort to harassment, lies hunting down the opposition; which is a clear case of selective fight against corruption.

    In their very government, cases that have been investigated by National Assembly are not taken to court and Nigerians are witnessed to this.

    Our party will never condone corruption in any manner or in any form, we condemn it in its entirety; it is only in PDP that court people are ready to stand anywhere to defend themselves when accused of corruption.

    It was during the PDP’s sixteen years of government that all anti-corruption agencies were established, we laid that foundation…we insists that fight against corruption shouldn’t be selective, And of course we know that APC’s anti-corruption fight is very selective.

    Security:

    On security, Boko Haram is now spreading under a new name, called ‘herdsmen’ that has been tormenting Nigerians, killing them in thousands. This is the first time in this country that lives don’t matter anymore.

    Everyday, our media is awashed with staggering numbers of killings in its endless stream of blood-letting fueled by incompetent leadership.

    Details soon

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5meAj4EE1M

  • APC sponsoring Fulani herdsmen to kill innocent Nigerians – Secondus

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, on Monday, accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of sponsoring Fulani herdsmen to murder innocent Nigerians.

    Secondus while speaking at the headquarters of the party in Umuahia, Abia State, also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure free, fair and credible election in 2019.

    He warned that Nigerians would resist any attempt by INEC to rig the elections in favour of the APC.

    Secondus, who was on a three-day working visit to the state, said the “PDP is on a mission to recover the land from the APC.”

    He said: “APC government has collapsed. They must be held responsible for the killings in various parts of the country. APC government has empowered the Fulani’s with the power to kill.

    “They (APC) must be blamed for the mismanagement of the country’s economy. There is hunger in the land. They (APC) are broken bottle and should brace up and get ready to leave because Nigerians are tired of playing politics with the killing of innocent Nigerians and hunger which they inflicted on Nigerians.

    “The APC government has run down the economy of the country. They can no longer protect the lives and property of Nigerians. They have run down the National Assembly that is why Nigerians are yearning for PDP to come and take over power from the APC.

    We are moving gradually, but working to rescue the nation from the mess that APC has thrown it into. We are not going to allow the APC to rig election in 2019. That is why we are saying that the best gift Buhari will give Nigerians is to conduct a free, fair and credible election, after which Buhari will retire to his house honourably because we know that Nigerians have seen that the APC has failed abysmally”.

  • Expect robust, vibrant opposition from PDP in 2018 – Secondus tells APC

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, has assured Nigerians that the PDP will play robust and vibrant roles in the nation’s polity in 2018.

    Mr. Secondus, in a new year message he issued on Saturday in Abuja, said the worst was over for the PDP.

    He said the opposition party was ready and re-energised to play its role in the polity to deepen Nigeria’s democracy.

    2017 was tough for us but the worst is over; we are now more than ever determined to take power back in Nigeria because the writing on the wall is clear that the ruling party cannot cope.

    We sympathize with Nigerians for the hardship they have been going through in the hand of ruling party but assure them that there is a light at the tunnel.”

    Mr. Secondus said having gone through the political furnace, the PDP had learnt its lesson and was now refined and focussed to return to power.

    He appealed to Nigerians, particularly the media and civil society groups, to stand up to their responsibilities and hold the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration accountable.

    The new year 2018 is strategic and critical in the political life of the nation because activities in the year will determine the success or otherwise of 2019,” he said.

    While wishing Nigerians a prosperous 2018, Mr. Secondus charged members and leaders of PDP to put all hands on deck in the new year, describing the task ahead as enormous but surmountable.

    He urged PDP members in Ekiti and Osun states to brace up for the party’s anticipated victory in the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in the states in 2018 by vigorously mobilising the voters.

    NAN

  • Convention: Why we supported Secondus as chairman – PDP Governors

    Some governors elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Sunday explained why they supported the candidature and eventual emergence of Prince Uche Secondus as the chairman of the party in its December 9 national convention held in Abuja.

    The governors said they supported the new PDP chairman because of his strength, character and honesty.

    The governors stated that Mr. Secondus as National Deputy Chairman stood for the truth and ensured that rules were adhered to during party primaries.

    They spoke at the Thanksgiving Service in honour of Mr. Secondus, National Chairman of the PDP, at the Rivers State Ecumenical Centre in Port Harcourt on Sunday.

    The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said every governor gave testimony on how the National Chairman stood firm for the right thing to be done.

    He said as deputy national chairman, Mr. Secondus relegated monetary considerations and always ensured the promotion of PDP interests.

    Mr. Wike said that Mr. Secondus insisted on his emergence as PDP governorship candidate because he felt it was in the best interest of the party, even though other groups preferred an ethnic candidate.

    He said: “This position is an opportunity to give Nigerians what they want. I can’t understand why people are suffering untold hardship. Imagine the fuel scarcity with people buying a litre of fuel between N300 and N400.”

    He said that Mr. Secondus emerged through a credible process where all candidates tested their popularity. He said the governors and other stakeholders preferred Mr. Secondus because of his experience and track record.

    For the first time in the history of our party, we had an election to elect a national chairman. It was not like the case before where the president and governors decided on a consensus candidate,” Mr. Wike said.

    The Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, said that he encountered Mr. Secondus when they had a major challenge in the delegates list of the party, but the former deputy national chairman insisted on correcting the illegality without inducement.

    He said all the governors who worked for the emergence of the national chairman did so because of the unflinching support Mr. Secondus gave them in the past.

    The Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, said: “Secondus stood with me when the promise of man failed.”

    He said that all the governors resolved to work with Mr. Wike in canvassing for Mr. Secondus because of his character and content. He said that the governors turned their backs on those who took money in the past.

    In his remarks, Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, commended the presence of mind of Mr. Secondus, which he said would be beneficial to the party.

    He said: “We are prepared to go the whole route with Prince Uche Secondus. He will be an exemplary party leader in Africa.”

    Also speaking, Mr. Secondus said that the PDP is poised to take over the leadership of the country.

    He said: “We are going according to the plans and purpose of God. This country will be returned to the PDP, whether you like it or not, it approved in heaven. You cannot do otherwise “.

    While thanking God for his grace and blessing that delivered the position of the national chairman, Mr. Secondus said God used Mr. Wike and his colleagues to bring the post to fruition.

     

  • Adeniran disowns new PDP group as Fayose, Secondus call for arrest of party promoters

    In a desperate bid to denounce rumours making the rounds that some defeated chairmanship candidate from the South West region in the recently concluded PDP convention are behind the sponsorship of a new group, ‘Fresh PDP’ one of the last men standing in the elections, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, has disowned the group.

    TheNewsGuru.com that a group made up of about five men on Wednesday ‘opened’ a parallel secretariat for the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, in Abuja.

    The five men are Prince Obi Nwosu, Alhaji Hassan Adamu, Chief Olusola Akindele, Chief Godwin Duru and Franklyne Edede.

    Only two flags of the party are taped to the burglary of the building to indicate that it is a party office.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission recognised the national headquarters of the party is located at Wuse, Zone 5, Abuja.

    Nwosu, who is the leader of the five-man faction, said that members of the National Working Committee of his group would be announced in January next year.

    According to Nwosu, the “Fresh PDP” is “emerging due to the imposition of a unity list on members on December 9, 2017.”

    He said that his group was not happy with the outcome of the national convention which produced the new national officers for the party.

    Asked how his group emerged, he said the members were the stakeholders of the party and the defeated candidates at the convention.

    He, however, did not explain how he emerged as the leader of the group, but said that he was not elected.

     

    Adeniran, who spoke through the Director of his Campaign Organisation, Mr. Shehu Garban, in Abuja stated that anybody who had genuine grievances was free to express them but cautioned that his principal should not be linked to the group.

    Speaking on the presence of a member of his campaign team in the aggrieved group, the former minister said he did not send anyone to the group.

    “We do not know them. They don’t represent us and we have nothing to do with them. Whenever is there doesn’t represent us,” he added.

    Meanwhile, the Governor of Ekiti State and the Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party’s Governors’ Forum and the National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, have said that those who have identified themselves as Fresh PDP members ought to have been arrested and jailed for disrupting the nation’s peace.

    Fayose, while hosting Secondus who had come in the company of other members of the party’s National Working Committee for the local government election rally coming up in Ado Ekiti on Thursday (today), said the Fresh PDP members were mere distractors who should be ignored.

    According to a press statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, the governor said, “In a civilised society those parading themselves as Fresh PDP members should have been clamped into jail. They are simply charlatans. I won’t be surprised and we are doing investigations to know those who are behind them.

    “In a society like Nigeria, where we need a virile opposition, we need to continually put the government of the day on its toes for them to know that Nigeria is greater than all of us, some miscreants would just issue press statement and say they are a splinter group or whatever they call themselves.

    “I urge Nigerians to ignore them. When I saw them on the Internet, they were faceless people I could not recognise, so they remain a set of jobless people and miscreants.”

    Also, the national leadership of the party said that the PDP was not moved by what it called the “comical act of some individuals who make outlandish claims in the media regarding the party.”

    According to a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, the party insisted that its house remains intact.

    The statement read in part, “We will however not be responsible or respond to any person or groups of individuals who decide to allow themselves to be used by forces from another political party in a laughable and childish attempt to distract us.”

  • FG targeting PDP members for persecution over refusal to defect to APC – Secondus

    The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP yesterday, alleged that the Federal Government is persecuting members of its’ party [PDP] who have refused to decamp to the All Progressives Congress.

    It also said that the government is building more prisons and planning to descend on PDP members in 2018.

    The National Chairman of the party, Mr. Uche Secondus, stated these in Abuja at the opening of a two-day retreat for members of the newly elected National Working Committee of the party.

    Secondus warned that those building the prisons might be the occupiers, adding that it was wrong for the Federal Government to be persecuting members of the PDP because of their refusal to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

    He said, “We learnt that they are building more prisons. Let them go ahead and build more. They will be the one to stay there.

    “We learnt that they are coming after our members in January. Let them continue. How many people will they put in jail?

    “They should stop intimidating people. They should remember that almost everybody they had put in jail wrongly came back to become President.

    “This is because they were jailed unjustifiably. So, if they are persecuting us, let them continue. But we will not withdraw the ultimatum we gave them to quit Aso Rock in 2019.”

    Secondus stated that it was wrong to assume that the PDP was not ready to fight corruption, stressing that the regime of former President Olusegun Obasanjo established institutions that he said “are currently waging a war against graft in the country.”

    The PDP chairman added that the former President did not spare members of the PDP then, unlike now when he alleged that the ruling party “protects its members.”

    “We stabilised the structure to fight corruption. Obasanjo, a PDP President, started the fight against corruption. He fought our members. But unlike now, no matter how corrupt you are, if you don’t want to be arrested, just defect to the APC,” he added.

     

    Speaking when he received members of the Board of Trustees of the party earlier, Secondus called on the Federal Government to stop intimidating members of the party.

    He said, “APC should stop intimidating our leaders. We will no longer take it; enough is enough. They don’t need to attack us; they should fulfil what they promised us.

    “Enough of this; we are not in a military era. What I am telling them is that God is not sleeping. When the time comes, the people will speak through their votes.

    “We handed over freely in 2015 and they should be prepared to hand over to us. No amount of intimidation will distract Nigerians.”

    Secondus condemned the alleged harassment of the former President of the Senate, David Mark, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

    “There is nowhere in the world where a former Senate President has been harassed like this before,” he added.

    While receiving former chairmen of the party, led by Ahmadu Ali, Secondus restated that he and members of the NWC would not be intimidated, adding that they would have zero tolerance for corruption and imposition of candidates.

    The Chairman of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin, explained that at no time did members of the BoT support Senator Ali Modu Sheriff while the latter was leading the party.

    Jibrin called on members of the party to unite and support the Governor Seriake Dickson-led reconciliation committee.

    The BoT, however, recommended that the new NWC should visit all chairmanship aspirants that lost the bid to emerge as the chairman of the party and their key supporters.

    It equally recommended that the new NWC should “deal with the various petitions; organise a retreat for all party organs; revisit the issue of the new party secretariat; revisit the biometric registration of members and avoid anything that will lead to unnecessary court cases.”

  • PDP convention: Adedoja approaches court, seeks nullification of Secondus’ election as chairman

    One of the candidates that contested for the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof Taoheed Adedoja, has approached a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking the nullification of the election of Prince Uche Secondus as national chairman.

    In Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1225/2017 filed on his behalf by Messers Rickey Tarfa & Co., Adedoja prayed the court to declare ‎the election of Secondus as national chairman of PDP null and void.

    The complainant also prayed the court to declare as null and void any documents submitted by the leadership of the PDP to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognising Secondus as national chairman of the PDP.

    Adedoja also asked the court for the cancellation of the national chairmanship election held on Saturday, December 09, 2017 at Eagle Square, Abuja where Secondus emerged as chairman.

    He prayed the court to order the conduct of another elective national convention for the election of national chairman within 30 days ‎nullificationion of the December 9 convention.

    Through his lawyers, Adedoja similarly asked the court to restrain the INEC from recognising Uche Secondus as national chairman of the PDP.

    Stating the grounds for asking the court to nullify the outcome of the election that produced Secondus as chairman, Adedoja said his name was unlawfully excluded from the ballot paper as one of the candidates vying for the position of chairman.

    He averred that excluding his name from the ballot paper was a flagrant violation of the Electoral Act, the constitution of the PDP, the guidelines for the conduct of PDP national convention and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    According to him, the organisers of the convention had substituted his name with “Prof Taoheed Oladoja” on the ballot paper, whereas all his nomination documents submitted to the leadership of the PDP bore the name of Prof. Taoheed Adedoja.

    Prof Adedoja also averred that he drew the attention of the chairman of the convention planning committee, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State to the error

    But according to him, his complaint was ignored by Okowa and other organisers of the convention, a situation which he said, caused his loss at the election because those that wanted to vote for him could not find his name on the ballot paper.

    Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Monday, Adedoja said, “I have suffered psychological trauma as a result of the public ridicule the election result has caused me, my family members, friends and associates.

    “My lawyers are demanding for appropriate compensation for damages, ridicule, embarrassment and disrepute brought to my name as a result of my wilful exclusion from participating in the election resulting in zero score credited to my name which is now in public domain”, he added.

    Listed as defendants in the suit are Governor Okowa, Secondus, INEC, and the PDP. No date has been fixed for having.