Drama as PDP prevents Secondus from presiding over meeting

• ‘Party Yet To Receive Kebbi Court Order’
• Mark Leads Fresh Peace Panel
• Convention Holds October 30

The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recorded curious twists, yesterday, as the opposition party prevented its suspended national chairman, Uche Secondus, from resuming and presiding over its affairs.

Former President of the Senate, David Mark, was appointed to lead an 8-man committee to persuade all party members with cases in courts to withdraw them.

Declaring that it was yet to be served with the Kebbi State High Court order which reinstated Secondus, the PDP effectively prevented him from resuming office.

As early as 9 a.m, yesterday, Secondus was already in his office on the second floor of the Wadata Plaza waiting to preside over the caucus meeting earlier scheduled to hold at 10 a.m.

Many party leaders, including the Acting National Chairman, Yemi Akinwonmi and Board of Trustees (BoT) chairman, Senator Jubril Walid, who had started arriving for the meeting, took their turn to visit Secondus in the office.

A few minutes after, Walid rushed to the NEC Hall where the caucus meeting was holding to inform party leaders in attendance that Secondus was insisting on presiding over the meeting.

Walid’s disclosure generated uproar among the party leaders. Swiftly, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal and Walid proceeded to meet Secondus who was still in his office.

A moment later, Tambuwal and Walid returned with the acting chairman, Akinwonmi, to start the caucus meeting.

Those at the meeting included governors of Adamawa, Sokoto, Taraba, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Benue, Enugu, Oyo as well as former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and former Senate Presidents Bukola Saraki and Anyim Pius Anyim.

Akinwonmi, who presided over the meeting informed members that he had been served a letter, which he said should be deliberated upon immediately.

“I know the letter would be of importance to this meeting and I received it. Coincidentally, I showed the BoT chairman and he said that he received it too, meaning that the letter was served on me and the BoT chairman,” he stated.

After two hours of serious debate on whether or not Secondus should be allowed to resume duties and preside over the meeting, the party leaders prevented him and instead referred him and other warring members to meet with the Mark committee.

The party said its national convention would hold between October 30 and 31 2021.

Tambuwal, who briefed journalists after the meeting said: “We have just risen from our 40th meeting of the national caucus of our great party, the PDP, where we have resolved to submit to the NEC of our party tomorrow a recommendation from the National Working Committee (NWC) for the national convention to be held from Friday 30th of October to Saturday 31st of October.”

On the setting up of the Mark peace committee, the governor said: “Also, this distinguished body had empanelled distinguished leaders of our party, under the leadership of former President of the Senate, David Mark, to interface with our leaders who are involved in these issues of court, so that all court matters can be now withdrawn for normalcy to return to the party.

“I appeal on behalf of this body to all well-meaning members of our party to sheath their sword. Let us embrace peace because Nigeria is waiting for PDP and I believe that we have the capacity to resolve whatever issues we have internally,” he pleaded.

On the Kebbi State High Court order, Tambuwal explained: “That matter came up, and in view of the fact that we are yet to receive the court order, this committee is going to look into it with all the parties involved accordingly.”