PDP convention will hold on August 17 as scheduled despite court ruling - Makarfi's Committee

The Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has insisted that the party's August 17 National Convention will hold as scheduled despite the court ruling sacking the committee.

Makarfi's committee made the pronouncement following a ruling by Justice Okon Abang of an Abuja Federal High Court yesterday, saying the committee was illegal and could not conduct any function on behalf of the party.

Reacting to the ruling, spokesman of the Makarfi-led committee, Dayo Adeyeye, in a statement on Thursday, accused justice Abang of "deliberately" engaging in acts capable of derailing the country's democracy, stressing that he has a "penchant for abuse of court process."

The statement reads, "We have just received information that Justice Okon Abang of the federal high court in Abuja has granted an order of interlocutory injunction stopping our scheduled national convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, but we want to state that the judgment of the 4th of July, 2016 supersedes any ex-parte order or interlocutory Injunctions.

"So, our national convention will hold as scheduled in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

"He has penchant for abuse of court processes and actions of legal impunity. This judge Nigerians will recall, issued judgment against the governor of Abia State that led to INEC re-issuing another certificate of return to a man who did not contest election thereby causing unnecessary hardship on the people of that state.

"He also issued an order to INEC to recognise senator Sheriff's candidates in Edo and Ondo states before they could even plan their purported congress in Edo.

"In today's case, this same judge out rightly denied the PDP representation in court which is unheard of by serving the plaintiff (Sheriff & Co.) who instituted the case also as PDP (defendants).

"His excesses are extremely absurd, strange and unbecoming of a judge who enjoys putting the judiciary on the spot. We therefore bring this matter before the highest level of Judiciary in the country to stop this judge forthwith from waging war against the PDP.

"Finally, the party calls on all its members and teaming supporters nationwide to remain calm and law abiding and be rest assured that the PDP national convention will hold as scheduled and all preparation towards the August 17, 2016 national convention remains the same."