PDP Crisis: Akinwonmi, Nazif Battle For Secondus’ Seat

• NWC in dilemma, NEC meeting shelved indefinitely
• It’s all Gov Wike’s doing – party insiders kick

BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – Despite what many termed a successful palace coup, the crisis currently rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken another dramatic dimension with two factions now laying claims to the party’s national leadership.

In the ensuing confusion, one of the splinter groups is led by Deputy National Chairman (South), Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, with his counterpart, Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Suleiman Nazif, laying claims to the other faction.

Both Akinwonmi and Nazif insist the party’s constitution gives them the backing to step up on the leadership leader and fill the vacuum created by the Court order suspending embattled Prince Uche Secondus as National Chairman.

The Rivers State High Court ruling had on Monday sacked the Secondus from office as well as being a member of the nation’s main opposition party.

Taking over the reins of power, Elder Akinwonmi said the powers being exercised are conferred on him by the party’s constitution and he has therefore suspended the planned meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) indefinitely.

In a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja, the Deputy National Chairman said: “Section 35(3) (b) of the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party empowers me to summon and preside over party meetings in the absence of the national chairman.”

According to him; “Our attention was drawn yesterday evening to a court order which purports to restrain our National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus from summoning and presiding over the meetings of the organs of the party.

“In the foregoing circumstances, as Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party, after the consultations and in the exercise of the aforesaid powers, hereby deem it fit and proper to postpone the National Working Committee meeting earlier scheduled for today until further notice to allow for broader consultations in the overall interest of the party.”

But not ready to be outdone in the emerging power play, the Nazif faction hurriedly convened a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) at the party secretariat to take charge as the acting National Chairman.

Rising from the meeting attended by seven of the 18-member NWC, the faction alleged that Akinwonmi has been battling a protracted stroke-related ailment, and therefore incapacitated, adding that it would be difficult in the circumstance for him to perform the duties of national chairman.

Nazif further claimed that Akinwonmi has, in the last nine to 10 months, not featured in NWC meetings and other official functions of the PDP, even as he argued that this position draws its strength from Section 47 (4) of the PDP Constitution.

The section states thus: “In the absence of the National Chairman and the Deputy National Chairman from the region part of the country where the National Chairman originates from, the other Deputy National Chairman shall act as National Chairman without prejudice to 47 (6) of this Constitution”.

“On this note, distinguished NWC members, I hereby take full charge of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Chairman in an acting capacity”, he said.

Nazif said given the unfolding events, the much-awaited National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting will now hold on Friday, August 27, 2021, by 10 am, adding that the meeting would deliberate on matters affecting the party.

“As you know, in the absence of the deputy chairman south, I take full charge, so I am hereby calling for an emergency NEC meeting on the 27th August 2021, 10 am prompt to deliberate on matters affecting the party.

“And I believe all the leaders of this party, the owners of this party, that will be in attendance are our governors, former presiding officers will be part of the NEC meeting to deliberate all pending issues”.

The Nazif faction’s position however runs contrary to the earlier announcement by Elder Akinwonmi suspending the NWC meeting indefinitely.

The PDP lost its embattled Chairman in a court ruling by Justice. O. Gbasam of the Degema Judicial Division vacation court sitting in Port Harcourt on Monday which granted an interim injunction restraining Secondus from parading himself as the national chairman of the PDP.

Sources close to Prince Secondus claimed that former political godfather-turned-foe, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike ‘procured’ the court order having allegedly vowed to embarrass the National Chairman and boot him out of office for being ‘ungrateful’.