Wike says the act of sacking Secondus already done, completed
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
For attempting to stop the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled to hold in Abuja this weekend, Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has branded the suspended national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, an enemy of the party.
Secondus had filed a motion at the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt seeking a cancellation of the convention.
But in a ruling on Friday, a three-man appeal panel led by Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, in a unanimous decision on the application CA/PH/339/2021, held that Secondus’ application was only aimed at distracting the party from going on with the convention.
The Court, therefore, ordered the opposition party to go ahead with its planned National Convention unhindered.
Reacting on Friday, Secondus vowed that he would immediately appeal the ruling at the Supreme Court.
“I have just been briefed of the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt dismissing my motion to halt the National Convention of the party. I respect the position of the court even though I disagree totally with it,” he said in a statement his office made available to TheNiche.
READ ALSO: Secondus defeated as Appeal Court refuses to halt PDP convention
Secondus heads for Supreme Court over PDP Convention
“Even as the substantive case is still pending at the Court of Appeal, I have instructed my lawyers to study the ruling with a view to appealing it immediately as no abuse of the constitution of our dear party should be allowed to stand,” the statement further said.
But in his reaction, Wike said no individual, Secondus, can derail the party’s mission to rescue Nigeria.
Wike said Secondus’ attempt to scuttle the PDP national convention had made him an enemy of the party.
The Governor spoke in Port Harcourt on Friday while reacting to the Court of Appeal dismissal of Secondus’ application that sought to stop the PDP convention.
He said PDP’s mission to rescue Nigeria remained a commitment that would not be compromised because of the misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike said it was clear that PDP would not allow any individual or group of individuals to derail its rescue mission as captured by the theme of the convention.
Wike clarified that the Court of Appeal did not only dismiss the application of Secondus but also ordered that the PDP national convention be conducted unrestrained.
He said: “Our constitution provides that if a national chairman is removed, the deputy national chairman from that zone will immediately be the chairman or acting chairman as the case may be.
“And so, when Secondus was removed, he handed over to the acting national chairman now. So, the act has already been done, completed. So, what will the court say when someone is already acting and supervising that office?”
Wike said the PDP convention on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st October 2021 would be one of the best that had ever been conducted, adding that Nigerians were expecting PDP to come out of the convention more united.
Wike said PDP Governors were more united because they had realised that Nigeria was in problem and only a united PDP could wrest power from the APC.
He said: “Nigeria is in problem and we cannot do it alone. We require everybody to work with us, collectively and see how this country can be rescued.
“Nigerians are not happy with the ruling party, the way Nigerians are being treated. Like I’ve told everybody that there is nothing better than making sacrifice for the interest of the country. PDP is the only platform, and which it is today as the only opposition party that will rescue Nigeria,” Wike concluded.
