Two acting chairmen emerge in PDP as one claims the other can’t rule because he has stroke

Two acting chairmen have emerged in PDP as the party’s crisis deepens.

The two men appeared Tuesday, each claiming to be the rightful occupant of the office of acting chairman.

The struggle followed the suspension of Uche Secondus as chairman of the party, by a Rivers high court on Monday.

The contenders for acting chairmanship are Deputy National Chairman (South), Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, and Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Suleiman Nazif.

Both said they are the rightful replacement of Secondus pending the determination of the restraining order slammed on him by a Rivers court.

In laying claim to be Secondus successor, Akinwonmi cited the party’s constitution:

“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.

“In the foregoing circumstances, as Deputy National Chairman (South) of the People’s Democratic Party, after the consultations and in 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”.

Nazif also 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, reports TheNation.

He claimed that Akinwonmi, is incapacitated as he has been battling a protracted stroke.`

According to him, Akinwonmi has not been attending NWC meetings and other party functions in the last 9 to 10 months.