Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, has declared that the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will hold as scheduled in Port Harcourt, contrary to the directive of factional party chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff.
The Ahmed Makarfi-led PDP had fixed its national convention for August 17, 2016 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
He explained that the national convention would hold as scheduled because the court had yet to hear the suit filed by sacked Senator Ali Modu Sheriff challenging the holding of the event.
Addressing the South-South Executive Committee of the PDP at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday, August 1, 2016, Wike said, “The court could not have sacked Senator Makarfi because it cannot sit on appeal on the judgment of a court of coordinate jurisdiction.”
He added that there was an application to allow Makarfi to be joined as a party in the suit, recalling that the suit was adjoined till Monday, August 15, 2016
The governor also pointed out that the Edo State chapter of the PDP would get the backing of the party to win the forthcoming governorship election.
“The PDP in the South-South cannot be complete until we take over Edo State. Therefore, I urge INEC to conduct free and fair election in Edo State and every other state where we have elections.
“I thank the party in Edo State for doing quite well in their campaigns. As an opposition party, they have promoted the party’s chances through committed campaigns,” he said.
On the forthcoming National Convention, he stated that the leaders of the PDP in the Southern geopolitical zones would meet on Thursday, August 4, 2016, to determine the zoning of positions.
The governor further said that the PDP would emerge stronger from its current challenges, adding that Nigerians were waiting for the party to provide leadership.
In his remarks, the National vice chairman of the PDP (South-South), Mr. Emma Ogidi, commended Wike for using the people’s mandate to transform Rivers State.
He described Wike as a complete party man, who had helped in rebuilding the party through his engagements with party stakeholders across the country.
The South-South Executive Committee of the PDP also conferred an award of excellence on the governor.
Also, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Chidi Okolo, said the convention would hold
It will be recalled that the factional National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, said his group was not planning any convention for now.
