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Drama as two factions lay claim to PDP National Chairman’s seat

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There was confusion in the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday, as the leaders of the two factions of the party laid claim to the sit of the suspended chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus.

The development comes after a judgement of a High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday, barred Secondus from parading himself as the party’s national chairman and even as its member.

Ripples Nigeria reported that following the suspension of Secondus, the PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, on Tuesday, took over as the acting chairman of the party and suspended its National Working Committee meeting, indefinitely.

However, following the development, the party’s Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Suleiman Nazif, who now leads a faction of the party also laid claim to the seat vacated by Secondus.

A statement from Akinwonmi had read: “Section 45(2) (b) of the constitution of the People’s Democratic Party empowers me to summon and preside over party meetings in the absence of the national chairman.

“Our attention was drawn yesterday evening to a court order which purports to restrain our National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus from summoning and presiding over the meetings of the organs of the party.

READ ALSO: PDP CRISIS: Akinwonmi steps in as Acting Nat’l Chairman, suspends NWC meeting

“In the foregoing circumstances, as Deputy National Chairman (South) of the People’s Democratic Party, after the consultations and in the exercise of the aforesaid powers, hereby deem it fit and proper to postpone the National Working Committee meeting earlier scheduled for today until further notice to allow for broader consultations in the overall interest of our party”.

As soon as the statement hit the media space, the Nazif faction hurriedly summoned a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) with about seven of the 18-member NWC in attendance.

In the meeting, held at the NWC hall at the party secretariat, Nazif pronounced himself the National Chairman, stressing that Akinwonmi, who has been battling a protracted stroke-related ailment, was incapacitated and as such, could not perform the duties of national chairman.

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