Bamidele Fasube
Over 14 days after High Court, Federal Capital Territory, issued an order restraining former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Uche Secondus from parading himself as the party Acting National Chairman, former Special Adviser to erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak on Wednesday asked the party to elect him or any eligible PDP members from the North East to assume the leadership position.
In a court ruling by Justice Hussein Baba of the High Court, Federal Capital Territory, the court on December, 2015 asked Secondus to vacate PDP chairmanship seat within 14 days.
The court order followed a suit filed by Gulak, where it was ruled that Secondus assumed headship of the party through an illegitimate process.
The former presidential adviser called on PDP members and the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) to elect substantive party chairman.
He stated during a briefing in Abuja that the party currently lacks genuine leader, as there was no legally recognized chairman that would pilot affairs of the party.
“As it is today, we don’t have national chairman or acting chairman by the court order and as such, the organs of the party are not properly constituted in view of the constitution provisions.
“Again, the BOT whose acting chairman tenure has expired since August is also not properly constituted. I call all the BOT members of our party to attend the 14th January meeting and let them elect among them, their chairman so that at least, one of our important organs can be properly constituted.
“As such, I call on all party members to be calm and all our BoT members to wake up to the call and immediately elect among them a chairman that the conscience of this party is properly constituted. As a chairman, chart the way forward in rebranding and repositioning of our party.
“It is necessary for me to let the fact of my matter with PDP known to all PDP members across the country.
“On 16th December 2015, consequent upon the suit I filed against Uche Secondus, the then acting chairman of the PDP, the court gave judgment, declaring the continuous existence of Uche Secondus Chairman as null and void and ordered a perpetual injunction against him parading himself as acting chairman.
“The court gave 14 days, within which the party should either appoint me or any other person from the north east geo-political zone as the acting chairman.
“14 days from the date of judgment expired on the 29th December, 2015. As it is today, the party has no properly constituted organ. The National Executive Committee, National Working Committee and the national caucus, which by the constitution of our party must at all times, every time be chaired by a national chairman or acting chairman.”
