Eagle Square agog as party leaders, delegates converge for PDP National Convention

Eagle Square is currently agog as party leaders and delegates gather to elect new members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that will pilot the affairs of the party for the next four years.

Uncertainty had trailed the convention as the suspended national chairman of the party, Uche Secondus dragged the party to court in a bid to stop the convention.

Secondus had approached the Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt to challenge his removal as chairman.

He also sought an order of injunction restraining the PDP from holding its national convention scheduled for October 30th and 31st.

Delivering the ruling on Friday, a three-member panel unanimously dismissed the application, which was filed on October 14, 2021, for lacking in merit.

Gabriel Kolawale, who read the panel’s decision, said the suit by Secondus was an afterthought and abuse of court process.

Reacting to the Appeal Court ruling, Secondus said he respects the position of the court even though he disagrees totally with it.

Read also: 3600 delegates in Abuja for PDP National Convention

“Even as the substantive case is still pending at the Court of Appeal I have instructed my lawyers to study the ruling with a view to appealing it immediately as no abuse of the constitution of our dear party should be allowed to stand.

“The issue is not about Prince Uche Secondus but about the sanctity of our party constitution and core democratic principles of justice and rule of law not only in PDP but in our democracy. No impunity must be condoned,” Secondus noted.

Political analysts have described the party’s convention holding today and tomorrow as critical in preparing for the 2023 general election.

Those that have arrived at the Eagle Square are governors, ex-governors, party officials and other bigwigs of PDP.

Chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC), Ahmadu Fintiri disclosed on Friday while briefing journalists ahead of the national convention that 3600 delegates would file out this weekend to elect new officers of the party.

He hinted that most of the positions would be by consensus except the Deputy National Chairman South, Office of the Auditor and Office of the Youth Leader.

According to him, “What we’ll be doing tomorrow along with you, the problem has reduced significantly and we will keep you posted as the events unfold.

“At the moment we are talking to those that are contesting for the Office of the Deputy National Chairman South and those that are contesting for Office of the Auditor, and those for the Office of youth leader. I think at the moment, those are just the offices that are still have many people contesting for them.

“The rest have been streamlined and the consensus looks like okay,” he said.