Prince Uche Secondus: says he remains PDP National Chairman

Embattled chairman of Nigeria’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  Prince Uche Secondus insisted on Saturday evening that he has not stepped down as the chairman of the party.

Secondus said this in a statement by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, on Saturday while explaining his absence from the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party held earlier in the day.

Secondus said his absence from the NEC meeting was in obedience to the interim order issued by the Cross River State High Court, Calabar, restraining him from functioning in that position issued  on Friday.

A Rivers High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had on Monday asked Secondus to stop parading himself himself as the PDP national chairman.

However, some days later, a Kebbi State High Court sitting in Birnin-Kebbi reinstated him.

But Secondus said in compliance with the latest court order from Cross River he had earlier on Saturday asked his deputy (South), Yemi Akinwonmi, to preside over the NEC meeting held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

But Secondus said he remains PDP Chairman as his four- year mandate would expire in December having been elected on December 10, 2017.

The statement reads, “The media office of Prince Uche Secondus wishes to correct erroneous news circulating that he has stepped down as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

“Prince Secondus by his unavoidable absence at the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting on Saturday was merely obeying an interim order from Cross River state High Court.

“As a law abiding citizen who has been an adherent of rule of law as a basis for democracy stayed away in respect for the courts.

“Prince Secondus’ four year mandate to lead the party given on December 10, 2017 ends by December, 2021.

“By this release, media office wishes to urge media houses and members of the public particularly beloved members of PDP to disregard any news suggesting that he has stepped down.”