Mr Uche Secondus has reacted to the court order restraining him from acting as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

His reaction follows the ruling of Justice Okogbule Gbasam of the Degema Division of the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.

“If Secondus and the party are taken to court, they will defend themselves,” Secondus’ media aide, Ike Abonyi, said in a statement on Monday.

“PDP and Secondus are not afraid of court; this party is a child of history, owned by Nigerians, bigger than any individual or group, including desperadoes.”

Abonyi, however, claimed that the story of the restraining order originated through the special assistant on media to the Rivers State Governor.

Justice Gbasam made the order while ruling on a motion ex parte marked PHC/2183/CS/2021 and filed by four persons – Ibeawuchi Alex, Dennis Amadi, Emmanuel Stephen, and Umeziriki Onucha.

Secondus and the main opposition party were listed as the first and second respondents to the suit.

Amid calls for the resignation of the PDP national chairman, seven national officers of the party resigned from their roles on August 3.

The affected officers claimed that they were being side-lined and treated unfairly by Secondus, but the PDP national chairman denied the allegation.

Two days later, members of the PDP Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting to resolve the crisis in the party.

Barely a few weeks to the meeting of the party leaders, the controversy took a new twist with the court order restraining Secondus from parading as the PDP national chairman, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

Justice Gbasam also made an order restraining the PDP national chairman from parading as a member of the party, or other related functions.

He also granted the request to serve by substituted means all orders made by the court on the respondents and by publishing same in a newspaper. (Text, excluding headline, courtesy of Channels TV)

Update news