By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
As the crisis rocking the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party continues to simmer, governors elected on the platform of the country’s main opposition party have distanced themselves from those calling on the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to quit office.
A Rivers State High Court last week sacked Secondus as the National Chairman of the PDP.
But on Thursday, Justice Nusirat. I. Umar, a vacation Judge of the Kebbi State High Cour, ordered him to return to his position.
Giving the order in a suit brought before her in Birinin Kebbi, the state capital in case KB/AC/M. 170/2021, Justice Umar said she was satisfied after reading the affavidit of the respondents that an interim order should be granted on the purported suspension of Secondus pending the determination of the case.
The drama in the opposition is seen as a battle for supremacy between Secondus and the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
But on Friday evening, the PDP Governors Forum, denied asking Secondus to leave office.
The position of the governors was contained in a statement by Hon CID Maduabum, Director General of the PDP Governors Forum.
Titled, “PDP Governors Forum denies asking Secondus to quit,” the statement said contrary to some insinuations in some media, the meeting the governors held on Thursday was prior to the Kebbi High Court ruling.
The statement reads: “The PDP Governors Forum hereby categorically denies the insinuation in some media, that it had asked Prince Uche Secondus to quit as National Chairman of PDP, in spite of the Kebbi State High Court Order reinstating him.
“The PDP Governors Forum at its emergency meeting on Thursday, 26th August, merely endorsed the NWC resolution adopting Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, the Deputy National Chairman, South as acting National Chairman of PDP, and the holding of the NEC meeting of PDP on Saturday, 28th August, 2021.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this warped interpretation of the statement of the Chairman of the PDP-GF, Rt. Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal CFR, after their emergency meeting on Thursday is clearly mischievous.
“At the time Tambuwal spoke on Thursday night, the Kebbi State High Cout Order had not been received by the Forum, and consequently was not discussed or commented upon.
“This clarification has become necessary to set the facts straight.”