Heritagenewsng reports that there is more in the camp of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as leadership crisis rocking the party seems to be getting more complicated by the day.
Party leaders at the National Working Committee (NWC), the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the Governors Forum, at separate meetings on Thursday, ratified Yemi Akinwonmi — Deputy Chairman (South) — as acting chairman in place of the court-suspended Chairman Uche Secondus.
A Rivers High Court on Monday suspended Secondus by granting an order of injunction requested by some party members.
But yesterday, a Kebbi High Court granted another order returning Secondus as national chairman.
A Vacation Judge, Justice Nusirat. I. Umar gave the order in a suit brought before her at Birinin Kebbi, the state capital.
In the case, cited as KB/AC/M. 170/2021, Justice Umar said she was satisfied after reading the affidavit of the respondents.
She said it was necessary to issue an interim order on the purported suspension of Secondus, pending the determination of the case.
The order reads: “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.
“Any further order(s) as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the Groumstances.
Three concerned members of the party, Yahaya Usman, Abubakar Mohammed and Bashar Suleman are the claimants/applicant in the case while Prince Secondus and the PDP are the defendants/respondents.
PDP governors, who backed Akinwonmi as the acting national chairman also supported the decision of the NWC and the BoT to hold the national convention in October.
They also supported the decision to shift the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting from today to tomorrow.
The NWC and BoT met in Abuja yesterday to deliberate on the lingering leadership crisis.
The succession crisis was triggered Secondus the suspension by a Port Harcourt High Court.
Following the ruling, Akinwonmi and Deputy National Chairman (North) Suleiman Nafiz had been parading themselves as acting chairman.
Addressing reporters after their meeting, the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, said the governors decided to go with other stakeholders on the decision to endorse Akinwonmi.
Tambuwal said: “We have met with Elder Akinwonmi and Senator Sulaiman Nazif and they both told us that they have resolved their differences and that they have agreed to work together in the interest of the party. Since we have no problems with that, we agreed to go with their decision”.
Tambuwal also confirmed the governors acceptance of the October date for National Convention, adding that the NEC meeting slated for tomorrow will be attended by the governors.
On the fate of the suspended Secondus, Tambuwal said the governors had no choice but to toe the line of the party in obeying the court order suspending Secondus.
Governors of Sokoto, Oyo, Benue, Delta, Rivers, Adamawa among others attended the meeting.
For the first time in more than two years, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar attended the BoT meeting where he assured party leaders that he would not be travelling to Dubai again.
Atiku virtually relocated to Dubai, shortly after he lost the 2019 presidential election. He returned to the country in September 2020, after spending about nine months in the United Arab Emirates.
“I will not be traveling to Dubai again”, he told the gathering, a comment that drew a loud applause from BoT members.
Explaining his long absence from Nigeria after the last election, Atiku said he took a Master’s Degree course in International Relations at the Cambridge University in the United Kingdom during the period.
He said he was encouraged by his former boss, ex President Olusegun Obasanjo, to undertake the course for the purpose of self development.
His announcement to stop his frequent travels to Dubai was preceded by comments by Mr. Akinwonmi during the opening session of the BoT meeting.
Sharing experiences of his health challenges with the meeting, Akinwonmi said his health deteriorated because he did not have enough money to travel to Dubai for treatment.
“I am here because I didn’t have money to go to Dubai for treatment”, Akinwonmi said lightly, casting a causal glance at the side of the high table where Atiku was seated.
There were indications that the party had resolved to move on without Secondus.
The two meetings also declared that the rift between Nazif and Akinwonmi had been resolved.
Nazif attended the NWC meeting presided over by Akinwonmi and accompanied him to BoT meeting, where Akinwonmi took the seat reserved for the PDP chairman.
Addressing reporters after the NWC meeting, Spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan, said the NEC meeting was shifted to Saturday to give the various stakeholders enough time for broader consultations.
“We are back on stream. The NWC will meet again on Friday, the BoT will also be meeting later in the day. There will also be a meeting of the National Caucus on Friday. The PDP Governors Forum will be meeting later this evening.
“All these organs and other stakeholders are expected to harmonise their positions by Friday, which they will table at the NEC meeting on Saturday. We are all working towards having the national convention in October”, Ologbondiyan added.
BoT Chairman Senator Walid Jibrin, confirmed that the party had endorsed Akinwonmi as Acting Chairman, in line with the provisions of the PDP constitution.
The BoT meeting was attended by Atiku, Anyim Pius Anyim, Senator David Mark, Senator Adolphus Wabara and Dr Iyiorchia Ayu, Dr Bukola Saraki and Chief Tom Ikimi.
Former governor in attendance were Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun) and Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna).
Also, many of the party’s past chairmen, secretaries, former National Assembly members attended the meeting.
Credit :The Nation