Police lay siege to PDP’s convention venue in PH

Indications have emerged that following the officers and men of the Nigeria Police invasion in the early hours of today of the Sharks Stadium the venue of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention in Port Harcourt, members to the party who were forced to the party Secretariat in the state may have extended the tenure of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee by another one year.

The Police sealed off the Sharks Stadium, the original venue of their convention, forcing delegates to move to the party’s secretariat.

The extension of the tenure of the Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee, according to a party source, was the best and widely accepted option left to the party. The source said it would allow the party time to clear all outstanding legal bottlenecks on our way, the source said. The party also suspended the election of national officers of the party.

Motion for the extension of Makarfi’s Caretaker Committee’s tenure was moved by the Deputy Senate President, Mr. Ike Ekweremadu. Before then, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Leo Ogor, moved a motion for the suspension of the election of national officers of the party. The motion was seconded by Yunusa Suleiman, Chairman of the 36 State Chairmen of the party. It was also agreed that the chairman of the committee would not vie for any elective position in the party at the expiration of the one year tenure.

In the meantime, the Police have continued to contract itself as to what led to the sealing of the venue. Police spokesman, Don Awunah, who was on Channels TV morning show, Sunrise Daily, claimed that the police was served order of the Federal High Court in Abuja which stopped the convention. He had also said that that the police was not obeying any court order but merely being proactive.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has however accused the police of bias and unprofessional conduct over the decision to distrupt the PDP meeting.

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