Court bars Secondus from parading self as PDP chairman

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new turn on Monday as a Rivers State High Court restrained Prince Uche Secondus from parading himself as the National Chairman of the party.

Secondus, who is fighting hard to retain his position, has been given the option of organising a convention in October.

Daily Trust had reported that he had insisted on completing his tenure.

Secondus was elected at the December 2017 national convention of the PDP held at the Eagle Square in Abuja, along with other NWC members and his tenure of four years is supposed to end in December 2021.

But on Monday, Justice. O. Gbasam restrained Secondus from the chairmanship of the party while ruling in a suit some PDP chieftains filed against Secondus.

Ibeawuchi Ernest Alex, Dennis Nna Amadi, Emmanuel Stephen and Umezirike Onucha, the party chieftains, had asked the court to restrain Secondus.

The judge also barred Secondus from presiding over the local and ward congresses pending the determination of the motion on notice.

“That an order restraining the 1st defendant from parading himself as a member of the 2nd defendant or the national chairman of the defendant or performing the functions of national chairman of the 2nd defendant or calling , attending or presiding over any meeting of the 2nd defendant or any committee of the 2nd defendant at the Ward, Local Government or State level or calling for any Ward, Local Government or State Congress of the 2nd defendant or setting up committees for such Congresses or participating in any activity of the 2nd defendant whatsoever whilst on suspension as a member of the 2nd defendant pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction,” the order read.

The judge also granted leave to serve by substituted means the originating summons, motion on notice, all orders made by the court and all subsequent processes on the respondent by pasting same on his gate at No.1, William Jumbo Street, Old G.R.A, Port Harcourt.

The  judge further granted leave to serve by substituted means orders made by the court on the respondents by publishing same in the newspaper.