The Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Uche Secondus and the party have asked the Court of Appeal, Abuja division to set aside the judgment that disqualified him from occupying the headship position of the party.
The Appeal Court ruling followed the petition of former Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on political matters, Ahmed Gulak who argued that the position of the party chairman has been zoned to the North East.
Justice Hussein Baba in his judgement held that the position of the Acting National Chairman of the party is zoned to the North-East and therefore, cannot be occupied by Chief Secondus.
He ordered that Chief Secondus should vacate the office within 14 days and said that the plaintiff or any other party member worthy of that position should assume the position of the Acting National Chairman of the party.
Meanwhile, in the appeal dated December 16, 2015, and filed by Mr. Emeka Etiaba, a senior advocate, the party urged the court of appeal to set aside the entire judgement of the high court.
The party and it’s chairman argued that the lower court erred in law when it held that the defendants’ preliminary objection was incompetent.
The party had argued in the objection that the suit concerns and touches upon the internal affairs of the party adding that the plaintiff failed to pursue and exhaust the domestic remedies available to him before approaching the court.
He urged the court to set aside the judgement and hold that the plaintiff does not have the locus standi to institute the action.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the appeal.