…I will not resign – Secondus
BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
The main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party has disowned a press release which claimed that six out of nine National Working Committee members of the party on Sunday voted for the resignation of the embattled Chairman, Uche Secondus.
In a counter press release signed by a member of the NWC, Emmanuel Enoidem, made available to The Point, the PDP condemned in strong terms, what it termed as the falsehood being peddled by some individuals, which it said was capable of causing more cracks in the party.
He said, “I just saw the above somewhere and as a committed member of this party and by the special grace of God a member of NWC, I have the following points to make:
“By Section 29(3) of the Constitution of our party, it is the National Chairman or a summon backed by 2/3 members of the NWC that can validly convene a meeting of the NWC. Subsection (4) provides for 2/3 members of NWC to form a quorum for a meeting of the NWC.
“As a bona fide member of the NWC, to the best of my knowledge, I’m not aware of any meeting of the NWC summoned by the National Chairman or in the manner provided aforesaid.”
Enoidem added that it was therefore of grave concern, and indeed, very sad to read the position, purportedly taken by some distinguished members of the NWC, in utter disdain and violation of clear extant provisions of the party’s Constitution.
“The issue of resignation of any officer of our party at any level is a personal decision as stipulated in Sections 45(1) & 47(5). There is no provision of our Constitution which donates powers to any organ, individuals or group of persons to ask an officer of the party to resign for any reason whatsoever, as purported in the so called press release.
“The power to remove any member of the NWC and indeed any national officer is reserved in the National Convention which is due for December 2021.
“The said press release is an unfortunate assault and blatant violation of the provisions of our Constitution and so it is illegal and unconstitutional.
“This is more so when the purported meeting was said to have been convened on Sunday August 8, 2021 against the widely published position taken by the BOT, advising members and leaders of our party to maintain the peace until a committee set up has deliberated on the raging controversies.
“This bad press caused the party at this critical time is most uncalled for, needless and wanton, and must be discontinued if we are mindful of the interest of the party,” he added.
Recall that some members of the NWC circulated a press release in which they claimed that they voted for the resignation of the National Chairman.
The release read in part, “Sequel to the meeting held on the 3rd of August 2021 at legacy house where members of the National Working Committee (NWC) sat and decided that a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) should be held on the 8th of August 2021 at Hilton to further deliberate on the matter bedeviling the party; the meeting held and extensively deliberated. Nine members of the National Working Committee (NWC) agreed that the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus has grossly mismanaged the party and is highly incompetent; factionalised the party and has lost the confidence of members of the party.
“The matter of his resignation was put to vote, 6 members voted that he should resign and 3 members abstained from voting; therefore, the meeting resolved to forward the resolution taken on the 8th day of August to the governor’s forum, the BOT, the National Assembly Caucus of both the House of Reps and the Senate.
“We call on all members of the party to remain calm as the party leadership is working tirelessly to resolve the leadership crisis.”
In a related development, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus has said that he will not resign his position.
Secondus said in a short statement from his media office that nothing so far warrants his resignation.
He challenged those calling for his resignation, whom he described as “a tiny minority” to come clean and tell party members across the country his offense and why he should resign.
He said he would remain focused and committed to the ideals of the party which he swore to protect and defend upon his election 44 months ago.
