A Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has dismissed the complaint brought by suspended Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Uche Secondus, challenging the party’s National Convention scheduled for October 30-31, 2021.
In a judgement on Friday, a 3-member appeal panel led by Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani took this position following the adoption of written addresses by counsel for all parties.
Secondus is asking the court to issue an Interim Order of Injunction suspending Saturday’s national convention pending the outcome of a complaint contesting his dismissal as national chairman
The court determined that the applicant, Uche Secondus’s, attempt to suspend the convention was an act of “self-induced urgency” intended to disrupt the party’s ongoing lawful process.
He questioned why Uche Secondus waited so long to request a halt to a procedure, which had been conveyed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the party’s interim national chairman, Yemi Akinwonmi, whom Secondus duly handed over to.
Additionally, the judge determined that Secondus did not object to the acting chairman’s notification of the convention being sent to INEC, nor did he object to INEC responding to the PDP via the acting chairman.
Wike commends Appeal Court’s decision
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike commended the Appeal Court’s decision to allow the Convention to proceed as scheduled.
He told journalists at Government House Port Harcourt that the Court’s decision was a step in the right direction and accused the Secondus of obstructing the party’s efforts to rehabilitate the country.
The Governor expressed optimism that the PDP would organize the best convention in the country, noting that necessary preparations had been made.