By Nuel Suji – The Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmed Makarfi, on Monday vowed to proceed with the party’s National Convention scheduled for next week Wednesday, saying that the court ruling stopping the convention is of equal jurisdiction to the one that validates the convention.
Senator Makarfi said the Abuja Federal High Court that gave judgment is not superior to the Port Harcourt Federal High Court which gave it the go ahead to conduct the convention in an earlier judgment.
A Federal High Court presided over by Justice Okon Abang had on Monday suspended the scheduled national convention slated for August 17.
Justice Abang said he gave the ruling to serve as a “judicial deterrent” for what he described as the “excesses of parties”.
Citing a previous decision of the Supreme Court, Justice Abang said the court had restrained parties from securing self-help, and maintaining status-quo pending the determination of any matter before the court of law.
However, another Federal High Court in Port Harcourt also on Monday validated the August 17, 2016 National Convention, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to monitor the exercise.
Sen. Makarfi while reacting to the conflicting rulings said PDP’s convention is going ahead on Wednesday.
He concluded that the matter will be settled by Court of Appeal.
