From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has dashed attempts by the embattled former national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, to stop the national convention scheduled for today (Saturday) and tomorrow.
This was the outcome of yesterday’s ruling delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Appeal Court.
Justice Kolowale, who was part of the three-man appeal panel that handled Secondus’ matter against the PDP, said the party constitutionally empowered the acting National Chairman to convene and preside over the national convention, and not Secondus, who had earlier been suspended by PDP and restrained from participating in any of the activities of the party.
He said: “The appellant said it was meant to preserve his personal rights to preside as the National Chairman of the sixth respondent’s (PDP) national convention scheduled to hold from 30th to 31st of October, 2021.
“The question to ask is what makes the rights personal because the office of the sixth respondent national chairmanship, is a public office and not of governmental nature.
“The so-called personal rights to preside at the sixth respondent’s national convention is, in my view, a power conferred by the sixth respondent constitution