The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has split into two factions, in confusion that sets in following restraining order of a Rivers state high court on the membership and national chairmanship of Prince Uche Secondus.
The Herald gathered that the opposition party has been split into two rival factions.
Deputy National Chairman (South), Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, leads one faction while the Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Suleiman Nazif, has taken charge of the other.
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Akinwonmi and Nazif are laying claim to the position of the National Chairman, to fill the leadership gap created by the suspension of the substantive National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.
Akinwonmi announced his assumption of office as Secondus’ replacement pending the determination of the restraining order slammed him by the court on Tuesday.
The three-paragraph statement reads: “Section 45(2) (b) of the constitution of the People’s Democratic Party empowers me to summon and preside over party meetings in the absence of the national chairman.
“Our attention was drawn yesterday evening to a court order which purports to restrain our National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus from summoning and presiding over the meetings of the organs of the party.
“In the foregoing circumstances, as Deputy National Chairman (South) of the People’s Democratic Party, after the consultations and in the exercise of the aforesaid powers, hereby deem it fit and proper to postpone the National Working Committee meeting earlier scheduled for today until further notice to allow for broader consultations in the overall interest of our party”.
As soon as the statement hit the media space, the Nazif faction hurriedly summoned a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) with about seven of the 18-member NWC in attendance.
It was at the meeting, held at the NWC hall at the party secretariat that Nazif pronounced himself the National Chairman, stressing that Akinwonmi, who has been battling a protracted stroke-related ailment, was incapacitated and as such, could not perform the duties of national chairman.