PDP Crisis: Secondus Says He Is Going Nowhere

National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday said he is going nowhere, as he has not done anything wrong to be forced to resign from office.

Secondus has insisted on completing his tenure by December this year, despite the clamour by nine members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and a youth group for him to resign.

During a meeting at the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja yesterday, Secondus said: “No, I am not going to resign.”

Meanwhile, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the decision by the party officials should be upheld.

The communiqué reads: “Sequel to the meeting held on the 3rd of August 2021 at Legacy House where members of the National working committee, NWC, sat and decided that a meeting of the National working committee (NWC) should be held on the 8th of August 2021 at Hilton to further deliberate on the matter bedeviling the party, the meeting held and extensively deliberated.

“Nine members of the National working committee agreed that the National chairman Prince Uche Secondus has grossly mismanaged the party, is highly incompetent, has factionalized the party and has lost the confidence of members of the party.

“The matter of his resignation was put to vote. Six members voted that he should resign and three members abstained from voting. Therefore, the meeting resolved to forward the resolution taken on the 8th day of August to the Governors’ Forum, the Board of Trustees BoT, and the National Assembly caucus of both Houses of Representatives and the Senate.

“We call on all members of the party to remain calm as the party leadership is working tirelessly to resolve the leadership crisis”.

However, the party’s national legal adviser, Emmanuel Enoidem, reacted to the decision.

He said: “By Section 29 (3) of the constitution of our party, it is the national chairman or a summon backed by two-third members of the NWC that can validly convene a meeting of the NWC.

“Sub-section 4 provides for two-third members of NWC to form a quorum for a meeting of the NWC. As a bona fide member of the NWC, to the best of my knowledge, I was not aware of any meeting of NWC summoned by the National chairman or in the manner provided aforesaid.

“It is therefore of grave concern, and indeed, very sad to read the above position purportedly taken by some distinguished members of NWC in utter disdain and violation of clear extant provisions of our constitution.

“The issue of resignation of any officer of our party at any level is a personal decision as stipulated in Sections 45(1) and 47 (5). There is no provision of our constitution which donates powers to any organ, individuals or group of persons to ask an officer of the party to resign for any reason whatsoever as was purported in the so-called press release.

“The power to remove any member of the NWC and indeed any national officer is reserved in the national convention which is due for December 2021.

“The said press release is an unfortunate assault and blatant violation of the provisions of our constitution and so it is illegal and unconstitutional.

“This is more so when the purported meeting was said to have been convened on Sunday August 8, 2021 against the widely published position taken by the BOT advising members and leaders of our party to maintain peace until a committee set up has deliberated on the raging controversies.

“This bad press caused the party at this critical time is most uncalled for, needless and wanton and must be discontinued if we are mindful of the interest of the party,” he added.

As it stands, the party is yet to resolve their controversy as there seems to be several opinoins as to Secondus’ resignation.

Source: Leadership

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