Secondus explains rejection of appeal court judgement, threatens to proceed to supreme court

The former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, in a statement explained his rejection of the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Friday on his suit seeking to halt the PDP National Convention for the election of new members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on Saturday into Sunday. The former PDP chairman further threatened to proceed to the Supreme Court of Nigeria to challenge the Appeal Court judgement.

Secondus acknowledged being briefed of the judgement but insisted that the suit is not about him but about the PDP constitution, warning that impunity should not be allowed in the party.

Secondus, unequivocally, declared that he did not agree with the judgement, saying that he has instructed his lawyers to study the judgement for an appeal at the Supreme Court. He, however, noted that the substantive suit is still pending at the Court of Appeal.

Secondus had in a statement declared: “I have just been briefed of the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, dismissing my motion to halt the National Convention of the party.

“I respect the position of the court even though I disagree totally with it.

“Even as the substantive case is still pending at the Court of Appeal, I have instructed my lawyers to study the ruling with a view to appealing it immediately as no abuse of the constitution of our dear party should be allowed to stand.

“The issue is not about Prince Uche Secondus but about the sanctity of our party constitution and core democratic principles of justice and rule of law not only in PDP but in our democracy. No impunity must be condoned.

“I will, therefore, wish to emphasise the fact that I did not take the party to court and would not have done that.

“As a foundation member of this party who has served at various levels – State Chairman, Chairman of state Chairmen, National Organizing Secretary, Deputy National Chairman, Acting National Chairman and now National Chairman – am very much abreast with the workings of the party.

“I have been a witness to how much harm litigation has done to our party in the past and as a result I have been a strong advocate against settling issues in courts.

“This was why I resisted and rejected entreaties of those who wanted me to go to court to halt these forces when it was obvious that they were determined to disrupt my leadership and truncate my tenure in office with the sole objective of hijacking the party for their selfish ulterior motives.

“To allow this travesty to stand is to reduce our beloved party to a level where anybody can wake up over night and remove officers against the proscribed constitutional process, and the National Chairman for that matter. And purporting to use the judiciary through an exparte order to legitimize same.

“As a major practitioner in our democracy, I am duty bound to protect and defend the sanctity of the provisions of our constitution of which am the custodian.

“I wish to, therefore, at this juncture thank and appreciate leaders and other stakeholders of our party who have called in to express their concerns on this matter and appeal for the understanding of all.

“If those who orchestrated and fostered this avoidable crisis had listened to wise counsel of party leaders and elders who advised the withdrawal of cases, this situation would have been avoidable. I wish the party well as always.”

The lead counsel to Prince Secondus, Tayo Oyetibo SAN, noted that Secondus will wait for the judgement on the substantive suit on his status as the chairman and a member of the party, pending at the appeal court, before deciding whether or not to proceed on appeal at the Supreme Court.

Oyetibo expressed that if Secondus wins in the judgement on the substantive suit, it will have a consequential effect on the PDP national convention holding in Abuja on Saturday, October 30, into Sunday, October 31.