The High Court of Rivers State has issued an interim injunction restraining, Prince Uche Secondus from parading himself as the national chairman and member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
Hon. Justice. O. Gbasam of the Degema Judicial Division vacation court sitting in Port Harcourt, granted the order, last Monday, following a suit No: PHC/2183/CS/2021 filed by Ibeawuchi Ernest Alex, Dennis NnaAmadi, Emmanuel Stephen and Umezirike Onucha against Uche Secondus (1st defendant) and the PDP (2nd defendant).
The judge, after reading the affidavit in support of the motion of ex parte as well as the written address, and after hearing the submission of H. A. Bello, counsel to applicants, granted the interim injunction restraining Secondus from parading himself as the national chairman of the PDP.
Excerpt from the order read, “that an order restraining the 1st defendant from parading himself as a member of the 2nd defendant or the national chairman of the defendant or performing the functions of national chairman of the 2nd defendant or calling , attending or presiding over any meeting of the 2nd defendant or any committee of the 2nd defendant at the Ward, Local Government or State level or calling for any Ward, Local Government or State Congress of the 2nd defendant or setting up committees for such Congresses or participating in any activity of the 2nd defendant whatsoever whilst on suspension as a member of the 2nd defendant pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”
The judge also granted leave to serve by substituted means the originating summons, motion on notice, all orders made by the court and all subsequent processes on the respondent by pasting same on his gate at No. 1, William Jumbo Street, Old GRA, Port Harcourt.
The judge further granted leave to serve by substituted means orders made by the court on the respondents by publishing same in the Nation Newspaper.
Reacting, the former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, said the ruling won’t solve PDP’s leadership crisis.
In a tweet, the PDP chieftain said the crisis looks like a meltdown.
He wrote, “Secondus restrained from being National Chairman of @OfficialPDPNig by court order?
“Even if the order is lifted in a few days the leadership crisis in the party just does not seem to want to go away.
“For how much longer can the centre hold?
“Looks like a meltdown to me!”
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Youth Frontier, Comrade Austin Okai, counselled Secondus to cease from parading himself as the national chairman of PDP and stay away from the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
He spoke following an order from the Port Harcourt Division of a State High Court that restrained Secondus from exercising the functions of the national chairman of the PDP.
In a statement he signed, the PDP youth leader said the party would not disobey court orders.
According to Okai, “It is in the interest of Prince Uche Secondus to understand that the judgement of the court is binding on everyone except a superior court upturns it.
“Therefore, he must, in his own interest, stay away from the party’s national secretariat and desist from parading himself as the national chairman in line with the court order.
“As a party of law and order that believes strongly in the rule of law, PDP will not encourage disobedience to the order of the State High Court and Secondus must understand this.”