The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be far from being over as a High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers state granted an interim order restraining Prince Uche Secondus from parading self as the National Chairman of the party.
The opposition party has been in crisis following the resignation of some national officers and the stringent call by some stakeholders for the resignation of the national chairman over what they described as poor leadership.
To save the party from crisis ahead of the 2023 general election, PDP critical national stakeholders, which includes the 13 states PDP governors, Board of Trustees (BOT), National Working Committee (NWC), former Senate Presidents, former governors, and many others on August 10, 2021, brought the party’s National convention forward to October.
However, in an interim order made available to Blueprint, dated August 23, 2021 signed by Honourable Justice (Dr), O. Gbasam and the Assistant Chief Registrar (Litigation), Patricia N. Victor Nwoka, the court restrained Secondus from performing functions of the PDP National Chairman.
The claimants/applicants are Ibeawuchi Ernest Alex, Dennis Nna Amadi, Emmanuel Stephen and Umezirike Onucha. While the defendants are Prince Uche Secondus and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to the order “upon the motion ex – parte dated 23rd August 2021 coming up for hearing and determination before His Lordship, Honourable Justice (Dr), O. Gbasam of the Degema division siting at Port Harcourt has vacation court; and after reading the affidavit in support of the motion Ex – parte as well as the written address and after hearing the submission of H. A. Bello Esq it is hereby ordered as follows: that order be and is hereby made granting leave for the commencement for the suit during the 2021 annual vacation of the high court of Rivers State.
It further reads: “%hat an order of interim injunction is granted restraining the 1st defendant (Secondus) from parading himself as a member of the 2nd defendant (PDP) or National Chairman of the defendant or performing the functions of the 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 ward, local government or state level or calling for any ward, local government or state congresses of the 2nd defendant or setting up committees for such congresses, or participate 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.
“That an order is also made granting leave to serve by substituted means the originating summon, motion on notice, all orders made by the Honourable Court and all subsequent processes on the 1st respondent by pasting same on the gate of the 1st respondent residence No. 1 William Jumbo Street, old G. R. A Port Harcourt, Rivers State and by publication in the Nation Newspaper.
“That an order is also made granting leave to serve by substituted means all orders made by the Honourable Court on the respondent by publishing same in the Nation Newspaper.”
