The peoples Democratic Party was forced to beat a retreat on it s planned national convention scheduled for Port Harcourt Rivers State capital following an order of a high court which ordered it should not hold.
The police had cordoned off And
Policemen, soldiers and operatives of the Department of State Services had as early as 5am deployed alongside Armoured Personnel Carriers to both the venue of the Convention at the Sharks Stadium, the Old Presidential Lodge and Rivers State Deputy Governor’s Lodge to prevent the meeting from holding.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that security operatives have denied delegates, journalists entry into the stadium.
A Court in Abuja had ordered the suspension of the convention, barring police and electoral officials from the event.
Another Federal High Court in Port Harcourt had earlier ordered the PDP to go ahead with the convention.
Following the development, the National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party the convention.
The Convention was scheduled to hold on Wednesday (today) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
However, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday ordered that the Convention should not hold.
Abang equally directed the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to enforce the order, while he told the Independent National Electoral Commission not to monitor the exercise.
This was despite the order of another Federal High Court, Port Harcourt Division granting the prayers of the party to hold the Convention.
Factional Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, was the plaintiff in the Abuja case, while Senator Ben Obi filed the suit in Port Harcourt.
Owing to this, the NEC of the party decided to postpone the Convention.
The NEC is made up of the Board of Trustees, the Caretaker Committee headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, National Assembly members and Governors elected on the platform of the party.
The agreed that the convention be shifted for 90 days.
The NEC also agreed to extend the lifespan of the Caretaker Committee, while it continues negotiation with Sheriff to resolve the face-off in the party.
