Rivers State Governor and Chairman of Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention Committee, Nyesom Wike, has said the
party’s national convention would go on in Port Harcourt as scheduled despite
court orders restraining the party from holding elections into some offices.
This
is as the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
Senator Ali Modu Sheriff said the party would embark on an aggressive
reconciliation process after the convention to ensure that every interest group
was carried along.
A
Federal High Court sitting in Lagos had barred the party from conducting
elections into the offices of the chairman, secretary and auditor at the
convention while another Abuja Court said the party should conduct elections
into the offices of the chairman and one other position only.
Wike
spoke in Port Harcourt yesterday evening while addressing journalists on the
fate of the convention. He was joined in the briefing by Governors Dave Umahi,
Okezie Ikpeazu and Udom Emmanuel of Ebonyi, Abia and Akwa Ibom states
respectively as well as the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Wike
said, “Just to let you know that the PDP convention, as scheduled by NEC, which
is the highest decision-making organ of PDP, will be taking place in Port
Harcourt tomorrow (Saturday) which is 21st day of May, 2016. I want to assure
you that by the grace of God, the convention will be taking place tomorrow.”
He
explained: “You may have heard that there is some court judgment or order; it
is important to clarify it here. First of all, you heard that the part of the
order that was said to be purportedly given that the chairman of the party,
Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, was going to court to say that there should not be a
convention in respect of the chairman position.
“I
want to let you know that the Chairman has clarified himself that it is not
correct; that he never went to court. That how will he go to court; that some
people had impersonated that he instructed them to go to court. And we believe
him. He had written a letter to that effect to say that it was not correct.
“However,
a court order is a court order. In consultation with our legal team, we have
filed a motion for stay and appeal. Of course, it is clear that when you are
challenging the decision of the court, it is clear that when it is a
declarative judgment and the party takes steps instantly, by filing a motion
for stay of execution and an appeal, that party cannot be held to have
disobeyed the court order. Therefore, assuming that there is a court order, we
are challenging it, even the court order was fraudulent because the judge may
not have known that it was not the PDP chairman that came to court. So, we are
not committing a contempt of court.
“Again,
you are also aware that there was also another judgment from an Abuja High
Court. If we are not law-abiding, the court said there should be election for
the position of the chairman and one other position, but the 16 NWC, there
should not be election. These are courts of competent and coordinate jurisdiction.
“But
again, as law-abiding party, we have taken all necessary steps to making sure
that the right thing is done. We have also filed a stay of execution against
that judgment and we have also filed an appeal. We did that so that they will
not say we are trying to disobey order.”
Wike
also dismissed the parallel convention scheduled in Abuja, stating that all the
party functionaries were already in Port Harcourt and wondered who would be in
Abuja.
His
words: “The PDP constitution recognises the NWC, recognises the Governors’
Forum recognises the Board of Trustees and recognises the NEC. And all the
bodies have met before the NEC took the decision to say that the convention
will take place in Port Harcourt. As I speak to you, every governor of PDP in
the 12 states that we control are all in Port Harcourt for this convention. The
Deputy Senate President, the Senate Minority Leader, former Governor Akpabio is
here, the House of Reps Minority Leader is also in Port Harcourt. The chairman,
BoT is in Port Harcourt. Every organ, as far as the party is concerned, is here
in Port Harcourt.
“So
you ask yourself, when all these organs that represents, as allowed in our
constitution, the party, which other organ that will go and hold a parallel convention?
So, there is only one convention and it will hold in Port Harcourt.”
He
however said the party would welcome back those holding the parallel
convention.
“But
we believe those who want to hold a parallel convention are our people. We
cannot say we will throw them away. They will still be part of us. Obviously,
when the positions are taken, some people may be aggrieved, one way or the
other. But you don’t because they are aggrieved, you throw them away. PDP is
still one and that party will be holding its national convention tomorrow, 21
May, 2016,” he said.
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