Politics
Only NEC can suspend me from PDP -Secondus
Mr Uche Secondus, National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says only National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party has powers to discipline him or any member of the National Working Committee (NEC).
Secondus stated this in a statement by his Media Aide, Mr Ike Abonyi, in Abuja while reacting to his suspension by his ward executives in Rivers.
He said that Article 59(3) of the PDP Constitution stated clearly that only the NEC has such power to discipline NEC members of the party.
“The media office of Secondus ordinarily should not be responding to every ‘noise’ in the media being engineered by those who set out to distract and destroy the PDP.
“But it is our responsibility to guide those who are easily persuaded by news in the media hence this response.
“Such action is a mere wish as Article 59(3) of the PDP constitution states clearly that only the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party can discipline the National Chairman or any other National officer of the party,” he said.
He urged members of the public and the media to be wary of agents who were out to distract the PDP from its focus of rescuing Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PDP ward 5 in Ikuru town, Andoni in Rivers on Wednesday suspended Secondus from the party.
His suspension was announced by the PDP Ward Chairman, Mr George Christopher, at the party’s extraordinary meeting in Ikuru town, saying that 11 of the 17 executive members endorsed the suspension.
Christopher accused Secondus of not attracting development to the area in spite of his exalted political profile adding that his inability to manage the affairs of the party was also a bad reputation to the area.
“The ward 5 executive of the PDP in Ikuru town on Aug. 31, discussed issues affecting the party.
“The ward executive suspended Secondus after a duly constituted meeting convened by the Secretary on the instructions of the Chairman in accordance with the party’s constitution,” he said.
Also former Chairman of Andoni local government council and chairman, disciplinary committee in the ward, Mr Benson Alpheous said that Secondus was suspended for disobeying the party’s decision to step down as National Chairman.
“Until further notice, Secondus remains suspended. For now, until you hear from us again, Secondus remain suspended,” he added.
A Rivers’ High Court had on Monday, Aug. 23 granted an interim order, restraining Secondus from parading himself as the national chairman and member of the PDP.
Justice Okogbule Gbasam of the Degema Judicial Division, presiding over a vacation court in Port Harcourt, granted the order, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
This made the party on Wednesday, Aug. 25 to adopt its Deputy National Chairman (South), Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, as acting Chairman.
In another twist, another court of coordinate jurisdiction in Kebbi on Thursday, Aug. 26 restored the embattled national chairman to his position.
However, on Aug. 27, another High Court in Cross River granted an interim order restraining Secondus from resuming office as the national chairman of the PDP.
Edem Kooffreh, the presiding judge, gave the order on Friday, while ruling on a motion ex parte marked HC/240/2021, and filed by Enang Wani.
The court barred Secondus from presiding over any meeting of the party until the motion is heard.
Meanwhile, the PDP NEC in an effort to resolve the leadership crisis approved Oct. 30 for the party’s elective national convention, scheduled for Abuja, to usher in new leadership.(NAN)
Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio has dismissed rumors of an alleged plot to impeach him, describing the news as “fake” and AI-generated. Akpabio addressed the issue during Wednesday’s plenary, following reports that operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) had surrounded the National Assembly due to the supposed plan to unseat him.
Akpabio assured the Senate that its leadership remains stable, emphasizing that there is no truth to the impeachment speculations, which he labeled as a “mirage.” He expressed concern over the growing spread of fake news in the media, jokingly suggesting that the matter be referred to the Senate Committee on Police Affairs.
The Senate President referred the issue to the Committee on Special Duties for further investigation, with a report expected within 24 hours. Akpabio has faced recurring impeachment rumors since the 10th Senate was inaugurated in June 2023.
The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially inaugurated its newly elected executive committee, led by Abayomi Tella, who will guide the party for the next four years.
During the inauguration, Dada Awoleye, chairman of the caretaker committee, presented the certificate of return to Tella and urged the new executives to focus on securing the party’s victory in the upcoming local government elections on November 16. Awoleye emphasized that this executive committee represents the legitimate leadership of the party in Ogun State and called for efforts to reconcile disgruntled members, highlighting that the party’s success hinges on unity.
In his acceptance speech, Tella expressed the commitment of the new executive to rejuvenate and reposition the party in preparation for the 2027 elections. He acknowledged the potential for differing interests within the party but stressed the importance of managing those differences effectively.
Tella stated, “We’ve started managing our interests, and it is crucial for the party’s progress.”
Over three weeks after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Senator Monday Okpebholo as Governor-Elect in Edo State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, are facing backlash from a pro-democracy group. The Initiative for Democratic Advancement and Free Speech accused the PDP of relying on media propaganda instead of accepting the election results.
Patrick Osaigbovo, the group’s Executive Director, criticized the PDP’s focus on INEC’s Results Viewing Portal (iREV), claiming the party is trying to undermine state institutions. He noted that the PDP failed to engage voters directly and instead relied on external sentiments and media appearances.
Osaigbovo further alleged that the PDP prematurely released results from its “Situation Room” during the election, aiming to sway public opinion. He emphasized that INEC guidelines stipulate that results should be uploaded to the iREV after voting ends.
In response, the PDP Campaign Council’s Deputy Director-General, Reverend Olu Martins, dismissed the accusations as baseless and unsubstantiated, adding that election observers had deemed the process fair at the polling units. The PDP maintains that the election results should be scrutinized to improve Nigeria’s electoral system.
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