By Ben Ogbemudia
Prince Uche Secondus, the embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party said his ward chairman lacks the constitutional power to suspend him.

Secondus who spoke through his media aide Ike Abonyi said ordinarily they should not be responding to every ‘noise’ in the media being engineered by those who set out to distract and destroy the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but it’s our responsibility to guide those who are easily persuaded by news in the media hence this response.

He said such action is a mere wish as Article 59(3) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, constitution states clearly that only the National Executive Committee, NEC of the party can discipline the National Chairman or any other National officer of the party.

“Members of the public and the media should therefore be wary of agents out to distract PDP from the focus of retrieving our beloved country from the irreparable damage already done to it by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.”

Mr Ike Abonyi, said: “The media office of Secondus ordinarily should not be responding to every ‘noise’ in the media being engineered by those who set out to distract and destroy the PDP.

“But it is our responsibility to guide those who are easily persuaded by news in the media hence this response.

“Such action is a mere wish as Article 59(3) of the PDP constitution states clearly that only the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party can discipline the National Chairman or any other National officer of the party,” he said.

The PDP ward 5 in Ikuru town, Andoni in Rivers on Wednesday suspended Secondus from the party.

His suspension was announced by the PDP Ward Chairman, Mr George Christopher, at the party’s extraordinary meeting in Ikuru town, saying that 11 of the 17 executive members endorsed the suspension.

Christopher accused Secondus of not attracting development to the area in spite of his exalted political profile adding that his inability to manage the affairs of the party was also a bad reputation to the area.

“The ward 5 executive of the PDP in Ikuru town on Aug. 31, discussed issues affecting the party.

“The ward executive suspended Secondus after a duly constituted meeting convened by the Secretary on the instructions of the Chairman in accordance with the party’s constitution,” he said.

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Also, former Chairman of Andoni local government council and chairman, the disciplinary committee in the ward, Mr Benson Alpheous said that Secondus was suspended for disobeying the party’s decision to step down as National Chairman.

“Until further notice, Secondus remains suspended. For now, until you hear from us again, Secondus remain suspended,” he added.