The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State has vowed not to recognize the Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee appointed by the national convention of the party last weekend in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The Ogun PDP, which said it only recognizes the party’s national leadership headed by Ali Modu Sheriff, described the Port Harcourt national convention as illegal, and its outcome null and void.
In a communiqué issued on Thursday after its expanded state executive committee meeting held on Wednesday in Abeokuta, the state capital and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Adeniji, the Ogun PDP noted that two separate court orders barred the conduct of elections into three offices and 18 others respectively.
The party pointed out that Mr. Sheriff, who was sacked during the national convention, had earlier postponed the convention on the basis of the court orders.
Citing article 33 of the PDP constitution (as amended 2012), the Ogun chapter of the party declared in the communiqué that “no convention of PDP can stand without the presence and convocation of same by the national chairman”.
It, therefore, pledged to stand by rule of law on the matter.
The communiqué reads, “The gathering in Abuja and a caretaker committee purportedly constituted on the Port-Harcourt convention ground after the chairman’s press briefing (suspending the convention) is ‘ultra vires, illegal, null and void and of no binding effect.
“Ogun PDP clearly stands by the rule of law and consequently, we support the National Working Committee, under the leadership of Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff.
“The aborted Port-Harcourt national convention of our party remains suspended and invalid. Two separate court orders barred the conduct of elections into three offices and 18 offices respectively and for this reason, the National Chairman postponed the convention; making it ‘fait accompli’. Subject to article 33 of the PDP constitution (as amended 2012), no convention of our party can stand without the presence and convocation of same by the national chairman”.
