P/HARCOURT – Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has affirmed that the suspension of the embattled National Chair­man of the People’s Dem­ocratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, still subsists.

The court also ordered a perpetual injunction re­straining Secondus from parading himself as the na­tional chairman of PDP.

Justice O. Gbasam upheld the national chairman’s sus­pension on Friday in Suit No: PHC/2183/CS/2021 between Ibeawuchi Ernest Alex, Den­nis Nna Amadi, Emmanuel Stephen Umezirike Onucha (as claimants/plaintiffs) and Prince Uche Secondus and People’s Democratic Party (defendants).

Earlier, the counsel for the first defendant (Secon­dus), Godfrey Uwalaka, had attempted to stop the court’s judgement slated for Friday, by making an oral applica­tion that an appeal had been entered into by the defendant.

But Counsel for the claimants, Nwosuegbe Eze, urged the court to discoun­tenance the purported ap­peal, noting that there was no motion before the court for stay of execution and no motion to arrest the ruling of the court.

Justice Gbasam, the trial judge dismissed the first de­fendant’s counsel’s oral appli­cation for lack of merit, de­claring that it was not enough reason to stop the earlier slat­ed ruling and judgement.

Gbasam, after careful review of the submissions made be the counsels in the matter, which lasted for about three hours stated that the court has not seen any ground to rule against its earlier judgement delivered on August 23, 2021.

On the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter, since the issue in contention (Secondus’ suspension) bor­ders on internal affairs of the party, the trial judge declared that applications challenging the court’s right to hear the matter lacked merit.

Similarly, on the issue of fair hearing raised by coun­sel for PDP (second defen­dant), Eugene Odey, the judge said the counsel had ample time to represent the client and the issue of fair hearing has no basis.

Justice Gbasam said it has been noticed that parties (counsels), who have bad cas­es and could not prove their cases have always used the issue of fair hearing to bam­boozle the court.

The court stated that Sec­ondus was suspended by his ward in Ikuru Town, in Andoni Local Government Area, for anti-party activities.

He explained that by the virtue of Secondus’ suspen­sion, the first defendant has lost the right to function as national chairman of the party and any function car­ried out by him under sus­pension is invalid.

“I hereby hold that the court has jurisdiction to hear the suit. I hold, therefore, that his suspension and having been acknowledged by the party in the state, is valid. He shall not so act as nation­al chairman. His suspension still subsists.”

Briefing journalists out­side the courtroom, counsel for the first defendant, Uwal­aka, said that he had expect­ed the judge to suspend the ruling, having informed the court that an appeal had been entered at the Court of Appeal.

He noted that all the reliefs sought after by the plaintiffs (claimants) were admitted, saying that he would ap­proach his client for the next line of action.