The Federal High Court in Abuja has again ordered the Markafi faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, to suspend the party’s national convention scheduled for August 17.

The ruling delivered by Justice Okon Abang followed a motion filed by Ben Obi, a former senator contesting the decision of the same court to cancel the national convention.

Obi had got an order of the Port Harcourt division of the court for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agents to be present at the convention.

In his ruling, Abang blasted the Markafi faction of the part for taking the “law into its hands,” and ordered the suspension of the convention pending when the plaintiff motion on notice dated July 20 is served.

He said the court would have adjourned the matter to the next day to give Obi’s counsel time to prepare for an intending application from Sheriff’s group.

But he added that going by Obi’s actions, he had no choice but to adjourn the matter to August 16 at 12pm.

PDP, however, is continuing with its plan to hold the convention. In a statement by the Chairman of the Publicity Sub-Committee of the National Convention Committee, Mr Onyema Ugochukwu, the Chairman of the 2016 Repeat National Convention Planning Committee of the Party and the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Nyesom Wike, welcomed all Party leaders, delegates, members, supporters, invited guests and observers to the National Convention holding on Wednesday, August 17 by10:00am local.

The planned convention will hold at the Sharks Stadium, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt the capital of Rivers State.

Ninety aspirants are contesting for various positions in the forthcoming national convention of our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party, out of which five are for the position of National Chairman, four are for first Deputy National Chairman (South) and five are for second Deputy National Chairman (North).

For the office of National Secretary, they are five contestants, Deputy National Secretary are two and National Publicity Secretary are six aspirants.

According to the statement, the screening of aspirants is ongoing at the State Party Secretariat, Aba Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State and screening Appeal will begin on Tuesday, August 16.

The statement reads: “The scheduled National Convention is mainly to elect officers of the Party drawn from the six geo-political zones of the Country to fill in the vacant positions that occurred following the Dissolution of national officers due to the expiration of their tenure at the last National Convention on May 21, 2016.

“In compliance with the PDP’s Constitution from inception, all regional interests are usually accommodated in recognition of the Country’s diversity, and as such, the PDP has zoned the 2019 Presidency to the North and the National Chairmanship to the South. Other positions have also been zoned between North and South for equitable representation in the Party, respectively.

“The Repeat National Convention will provide opportunity for PDP delegates to elect officers into the following offices: National Chairman, first Deputy National Chairman (South), second Deputy National Chairman (North), National Secretary, Deputy National Secretary, National Treasurer and Deputy, National Publicity Secretary and Deputy, National Legal Adviser and Deputy, National Woman Leader and Deputy, National Youth Leader and Deputy, National Organising Secretary and Deputy, National Financial Secretary and Deputy and other National Ex-Officio members.”

The PDP further said it would continue to play its role after the Convention as the main opposition Party by providing alternative governance and remaining a solution-driven political Party to help the Government in power, and reposition itself to regain power in 2019.

PDP has been engulfed in a leadership crisis since it was removed from power in 2015.

Counter court rulings have since declared former Borno Governor Ali Modu Sheriff and former Kaduna State Governor Ahmed Markafi the party’s authentic chairman.

•Sourced from TV360 Nigeria and Channels TV.

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