Against odds and early morning security threat, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) moved to its secretariat in Port Harcourt where it extended the tenure of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee by one year.
The Police sealed off Sharks Stadium, the original venue of their convention, forcing delegates to move to the party’s secretariat.
The extension of the tenure of the Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee, according to a party source, was the best and widely accepted option left to the party. It will allow us the time to clear all outstanding legal bottlenecks on our way, the source said. The party also suspended the election of national officers of the party.
Motion for the extension of Makarfi’s Caretaker Committee’s tenure was moved by the Deputy Senate President, Mr. Ike Ekweremadu. Before then, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Leo Ogor, moved a motion for the suspension of the election of national officers of the party. The motion was seconded by Yunusa Suleiman, Chairman of the 36 State Chairmen of the party. It was also agreed that the chairman of the committee would not vie for any elective position in the party at the expiration of the one year tenure.
Meantime, the Police have continued to contract itself as to the sealing off of the venue. Police spokesman, Don Awunah, who was on Channels TV morning show, Sunrise Daily, claiming that the police was served order of the Federal High Court in Abuja which ruled to stop the convention, also told AIT reporter in the afternoon that the police was not obeying any court order but merely being proactive.
The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has openly accused the police of bias and unprofessional conduct in the course of the episodes leading up to the PDP meeting.
