Uncertainty over PDP Convention, Appeal Court delivers judgement on Secondus suit on Friday

There is emerging uncertainty of the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), scheduled to old on Saturday and Sunday. The Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, after taking the arguments of counsels to the parties to the suit on Thursday,  reserved judgement for Friday to decide whether or not the PDP should hold the National Convention on October 30 and 31 as scheduled.

The panel of three justices, headed by the Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, after hearing arguments in the appeal by the former PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, on Thursday to halt the PDP convention, adjourned for judgement on Friday.

At the court’s proceedings on Thursday,  counsel to Secondus, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), had notified the appeal court that refusing to grant his application to stop the PDP Convention can be likened to “pulling off the rug under the feet of the appellant”. Oyetibo argued that his client will be permanently denied the right to preside over or participate in the convention if the pending applications bordering on his leadership and membership status go in his favour.

Counsel to the first to fifth respondents – the PDP Chairmen in five Local Government Areas of Rivers State – Henry Bello, countered the argument.

Bello reciting an excerpt of his 24-paragraph affidavit sworn to by the First respondent (one of the LGA party Chairmen), argued that the application to stop the PDP convention by Uche Secondus, was alien to the existing appeals before the court bordering on the leadership and membership of Uche Secondus in the party.

Henry Bello was supported by the counsel to the PDP, Sunday Ameh (SAN).

Sunday Ameh stated that Secondus voluntarily handed over the authorities of his office to a subordinate who has been acting lawfully as the National Chairman and is bestowed with the right to preside over the National Convention.

“The balance of convenience in the matter is in not granting the application” to stop the convention, Sunday Ameh said.

Donald Dee-Nwigwe (SAN), representing the ninth and 10th respondents, also countered the argument by Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) that the conduct of the National Convention by the PDP will permanently deny Secondus right to preside over the convention.

Dee-Nwigwe declared that, “a Chairmanship position of the PDP is at best a political privilege, not a right”, noting that the September judgment of a High Court in Rivers State which validated the suspension of Uche Secondus from the party has nullified any such privilege which Secondus seeks to protect through his application.

Meanwhile, Friday is a day  the PDP is watching out for, less than 24 hours to the national convention in Abuja for the election of new members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC).