PDP convention drama: Wike, others shift poll, extend Makarfi’s term

7 years ago

PDP convention drama: Wike, others shift poll, extend Makarfi’s term

The Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday failed to conduct the election of it national officers.

Instead, the party extended the tenure of the Senator Ahmed Markarfi-led caretaker committee by one year.

It also moved its national convention venue to the Rivers State secretariat of the party after the police sealed off the Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt, which was initially billed to host the event.

The national convention suffered a major setback when hundreds of security operatives, mainly policemen, sealed off the Sharks Stadium as early as 6am.

Security operatives blocked the major entrance to the stadium located on Hospital Road with an Armoured Personnel Carrier.

The development caused a gridlock on some major roads in Port Harcourt.

Information later came out that the convention would be held in the PDP state secretariat.

The state PDP secretariat located along the Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway was a beehive of activities as delegates later streamed into the secretariat.

Though the party’s national convention was not elective as planned, some decisions were taken.

At the makeshift venue, the PDP extended the tenure of the Senator Ahmed Markarfi-led caretaker committee by one year.

The extension of the tenure of the Makarfi-led PDP Caretaker Committee also came on the heels of the suspension of the election of the national officers of the party.

The motion for the extension of Makarfi’s caretaker committee’s tenure was moved by the Deputy Senate President, Mr. Ike Ekweremadu.

A member of the party and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Leo Ogor, had earlier moved a motion for the suspension of the election of national officers of the party.

The motion was seconded by Yunusa Suleiman, who is the chairman of the 36 states chairmen of the PDP.

The PDP noted that the extension of the Makarfi-led caretaker committee would pave the way for the party to exhaust all cases pending in court.

Delegates 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 extension.

Makarfi, in his speech, pledged to sustain the rebuilding of the PDP, reuniting its members and restoring the lost glory of the party.

Makarfi inaugurates PDP NEC

Makarfi had earlier inaugurated the PDP National Executive Committee.

Performing the inauguration at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, Makarfi said the NEC members were the board, the PDP governors, the National Assembly caucus, Board of Trustees, the national caucus, 36 state PDP chairmen and the national officers of the party.

He explained that in the absence of the elected national officers, the PDP National Caretaker Committee members would be part of NEC.

Makarfi added that the PDP National Caretaker Committee members would cease to be NEC members once the national officers were elected.

I did not shut venue –Rivers CP

The Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr. Francis Odesanya, said he did not seal off the PDP convention venue, but only provided security.

Odesanya added that he was complying with a court order, even as he said that he was not in a position to interpret court judgments.

Two divisions of the Federal High Courts in Abuja and Port Harcourt had given conflicting verdicts on the PDP convention.

While the court in Port Harcourt had ruled that the convention should hold, the Abuja division of the Federal High Court ordered that the exercise should not hold and ordered the police to enforce the court order, while also ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission to stay away.

But the state CP said his men were at the stadium to provide security for the delegates.

“I did not seal off the convention venue. I was only providing security. I was obeying a court order. It is not my duty to interpret court orders,” Odesanya said.

However, as of 11.35am, most PDP delegates were nowhere around the venue of the convention.

Some traders, who had come t

One of the traders, who identified himself as Chidi, said he was unable to sell his PDP-branded hats as a result of the police action.

Chidi explained that he was planning to make about N200,000 profit from the sale of the hats.

“I had planned to make about N200,000 from the sale of the PDP hats, but as you can see, nothing has been sold,” Chidi lamented.

Chidi was later seen at the Rivers State PDP secretariat where some delegates bought some of his wares.

I was under house arrest –Fayose

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, said on Wednesday that he was placed under house arrest by security operatives at the old President Lodge of the Government House in Rivers State.

He explained that the development stopped him from attending the national convention of the party.

Fayose, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Social Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, expressed sadness over the development.

The governor, who was conspicuously absent at the convention that eventually held at the Rivers State PDP secretariat, said an Armoured Personnel Carrier was used to block the lodge where he was a guest.

Odesanya, however, said such an issue had not come to his knowledge.

Odesanya said, “That can’t be true; it is not to my knowledge. How did other excellencies (governors) move out of the place?”

2019 election, battle to save Nigeria –PDP

The PDP said on Wednesday that the general election in 2019 would be a battle to save Nigeria.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Dayo Adeyeye, urged Nigerians not to see the 2019 election as a PDP problem, but a Nigerian problem.

Adeyeye, who is a member of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led PDP Caretaker Committee, spoke during a post-national convention press briefing in Port Harcourt.

He added that the 2019 poll would be an encounter between Nigerians and those making life difficult for them.

“The 2019 (election) is a battle between those in power and those that want to wrest it from them. It is a battle between Nigerians and those who are making life difficult for them; it is a battle to save the country.”

Adeyeye stated that Nigerians were aware of those behind the crisis rocking the PDP, pointing out that those seen on the stage were mere puppets.

“Some members allowed themselves to be used by some people that are in authority.

“Some of the people you see are mere puppets, but those pulling the strings are behind. Nigerians know those who are causing the crisis in the PDP,” he added.

Adeyeye said the idea to move the convention to another venue so that delegates could elect their national officers was turned down to avoid another disruption by security agencies.