PDP Crisis: Secondus Slams Rivers Chairman, Amb Akawor

By Charles Igbo

“Southern interest not determined by evidence ‘shopaholics”

The embattled Court-suspended National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, has slammed the Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the Party, Ambassador Desmond Akawor.

Both men are from Rivers State.

However, Secondus’ problems in the party, which led to his suspension, started from Rivers State.

His State Governor, Nyesom Wike, is the leader of a faction who wants him out as Chairman over alleged incompetence. The ante to sack him went up two weeks ago when a Rivers State High Court suspended him from office. It was followed by that of a Calabar High Court, after Secondus had got a breather from a Kebbi High Court. He remains suspended.

But it worsened a few days ago when his Ward in Rivers State suspended him as a member of the party, followed by his LGA.

On Thursday, the State Chairman, Akawor, justifying  the suspension accused Secondus of not paying his Party dues in the past four years, and of being against the zoning of the Presidency in 2023 to the South.

Akawor said that all Secondus wants is a second  term in office as Chairman, knowing fully well that once he gets it, it forecloses the chances of a President from the  South, something all Southern Governors had decided upon and endorsed.

But Secondus in response said nothing could be further from the truth, and dismissed Akawor’s submission as thrash.

A release from his Media Office, signed by his Media Adviser, Ike Abonyi, not only dismissed Akawor’s claims as false, but hit out: “We understand the frustration the anti- Secondus crusaders who have become evidence of are facing in their desperation to find points with which to use to achieve their ignoble goals.”

The full statement reads:

“The media office of Prince Uche Secondus will continue to respond to even laughable talks because of the danger of allowing disinformation to enter public space unchallenged.

“One of such false information being dished out is the allegation from the Rivers State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ambassador Desmond Akawor that Prince Secondus is working against Southern interest and that he has not paid his dues to the party.

“We understand the frustration the anti- Secondus crusaders  who have become evidence shopaholics are facing in their desperation to find points with which to use to achieve their ignoble goals

“The media office sees their effort as a case of bad marketer selling a product, who puts in several efforts to convince buyers to no avail.

“Our response is that there is no truth in all the allegations and Southern interest will be grossly endangered if it’s the likes of Ambassador Akawor and his clique that are pushing it.

“Critical members of our party including discerning members of the public know as a fact that no one person no matter his position can determine singularly the position of offices in the party.

“The media office will however continue to urge members of the public and the media to be wary of compulsive shoppers whose agenda is mainly to distract and destroy this party and remove its focus from retuning to power in 2023 as being yearned by Nigerians.”

Wike was instrumental to Secondus becoming the National Chairman of the PDP. But sources tell the magazine they allegedly fell out over Wike’s political future, and over who succeeds him as Governor in 2023.