Secondus denies alleged refusal to pay party dues

Suspended National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, has denied the allegation that he has not been paying his financial dues as a member of the party.

Chapter two of the PDP constitution, which dealt with the payment of dues, states: “Members shall pay their monthly subscription fees at the ward level, which must be reflected on their membership cards and where a member consistently fails to pay his subscription fees for six months, such membership will be deemed to have lapsed.”

Rivers State PDP Chairman, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, had alleged that Secondus was suspended because of his refusal to pay his dues in the last four years.

Akawor, who spoke in Port Harcourt, said Secondus jeopardised his party membership, following his refusal to pay dues.

He said Secondus worked against the interest of the party in the state by balkanising members of his Ward Five, including issuing a directive that a former state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Davies Ikanya, whose defection to PDP was considered a big harvest, should not be registered in his ward.

However, in a statement by his media adviser, Ike Abonyi in Abuja, Secondus pointed out “there is no truth in all the allegations.”

The statement read: “We understand the frustration the anti-Secondus crusaders who have become evidence shopaholics are facing in their desperation to find points with which to use to achieve their ignoble goals.

“Our response is that there is no truth in all the allegations and Southern interest will be grossly endangered if it’s the likes of Ambassador Akawor and his clique that is pushing it.

“Critical members of our party including discerning members of the public know as a fact that no one person no matter his position can determine singularly the position of offices in the party.”