The embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, on Sunday explained his decision to challenge his removal from office in court.
The Rivers State High Court on August 23 restrained Secondus from parading himself as the national chairman and member of the major opposition party.
He was restored to the position by the Kebbi State High Court two days later.
But in another twist to the saga, the Rivers court on September 10 upheld the PDP chairman’s position and ordered him to stay away from the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Before his travails in court, several members of the PDP had demanded Secondus resignation as national chairman over alleged poor handling of the party’s affairs.
The development forced the PDP stakeholders including the governors to push forward the party’s national convention from December to October 31 in a bid to placate anti-Secondus forces in the party.
However, in a statement signed by his media adviser, Ike Abonyi, in Abuja, the PDP chairman said he was in court to save the party from those bent on destroying it.
The statement read: “For the avoidance of doubt the media office wishes to restate that Prince Secondus is really under pressure for justice and would seek it anywhere to save the party from hirelings who were out to destroy and derail the focus of the party.
“The attention of the media office of Prince Uche Secondus has been drawn to an unsubstantiated story claiming that he is under pressure to withdraw his case against the party from the court.
“The truth which the said news did not state is that Prince Secondus is not in court against the party but was dragged to court instead by persons bent on hijacking the soul of the party.
“The party leaders are aware of who went to court against it and knows what to do rather than indulging in mind games.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the justice Prince Secondus is seeking is as enshrined in the party constitution which is supreme and states clearly how a national chairman and any national officer can be sanctioned even where there is a known breach not to talk where this none.”