Party’s acting chairman in war of words with Governors’ forum

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) acting National Chairman, Mr. Uche Secondus has dismissed calls by the party's Governors’ forum, asking him to resign.

This is following a leadership tussle currently going on in the party, involving a former aide to ex-president, Goodluck Jonathan,Ahmed Gulak, who declared himself, the party’s new chairman.

Punch reports that the PDP Governors’ forum had earlier issued a statement, through its chairman, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state, saying “We take cognisance of the judgment by the court in Abuja, which ordered the acting chairman to vacate office for any other person from the North-East zone of Nigeria.

“Our party’s constitution has enough provisions for that and the necessary process has been put in motion.”

Mimiko also said “In recognition of the judgment the court gave, we call on the national secretary to take over the leadership of the party immediately and that is in line with the provisions of the PDP constitution.”

Secondus on his part, issued a statement through the PDP National Legal Adviser, Mr. Victor Kwon saying “There has not been any change whatsoever in the leadership composition of the party at the national level.”

“The replacement will be in strict adherence to the provisions of the constitution of our great party as specified in Section 47(6).”

“Until then, the status quo remains, which means the Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, remains as the Acting National Chairman.

“Furthermore, it must be reiterated that all relevant stakeholders of our party, including the PDP Governors’ Forum, the National Caucus and the BoT as well as our leadership structures at all levels are united behind the current NWC in the efforts to rebuild, reposition and strengthen our party for the challenges ahead.

“The leadership of our party has resolved to remain focused and not be distracted by the unpatriotic actions of the former Political Adviser to the former President because we are privy to his agenda of being an agent of destabilisation in the party," the statement said.

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Gulak reportedly invaded the PDP secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday, January 27, 2016, and named himself the party’s new leader.