PDP crisis: Court didn’t stop August convention —National Caretaker Committee

As the ending leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP continues , the Senator Ahmed Makarif led National Caretaker Committee of the Party on Friday  declared that the Federal High Court in Abuja never issued any order sacking the Committee stopping its proposed August 17 National convention as widely reported in the media.

The Spokesman of the Committee,Prince Dayo Adeyeye who made the clarification in Abuja on Friday stated that  the order credited to the Abuja Federal High Court in the media  had created a lot of confusion about what actually transpired in the court.

According to him, “on the widely reported “ORDERS” purported to have been made by Hon. Justice Okon Abang, it is important to note the following: *The motion seeking to restrain the PDP from conducting the proposed 17th August, 2016 National Convention has not been heard by the Court and no date has been fixed for the hearing of same.

*What was before the Court on Friday was the issue of who is the authentic legal Counsel for the PDP as between Ferdinand Orbih, SAN and O.O. Fakunle, SAN.

“The Court in determining the question of Legal representation held that the appointment of O.O. Fakunle, SAN by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff was acceptable to the court.

“It must be emphasized that at no stage did the Hon. Judge set aside the judgment of Justice A.M. Liman of the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court, which could have led to the dissolution of the National Caretaker Committee.

“An Order validating Sheriff as National Chairman could not have arisen from the issue of proper legal representation.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the portion of the ruling relating to this is herein- under reproduced: “Though I have powers to nullify the decision of the Port Harcourt.

Division that recognized Makarfi Leadership, I will not do so because there is no application to that effect before me. I will, however allow the Court of Appeal to do justice to that”

According to him,”this clarification  necessary because proceedings of Courts of Law should not be subject of subjective manipulation. We are a law abiding committee and will always continue to operate within the ambit of the law.

“It is not possible in law that a Judge of a Court of record will acknowledge the existence of a valid judgment and proceed to make the kind of Orders purportedly attributed to him.”

“It should be very clear to you now that the ruling of yesterday did not at any point hand over the leadership of PDP to Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, it did not declare the Sen. Makarfi led Caretaker committee illegal and did not stop the proposed 17th August, 2016 National Convention,” he declared.

Prince Adeyeye who stated that the committee was not opposed to any peace efforts j declared that party members had started talking to one another after Thursday’s court ruling in Abuja.

He lamented the embarrassing manner in which courts were being manipulated by politicians in the country pointing out that in the end all issues will be resolved politically.

Said he,”We are tired as caretaker committee because of the way politicians are using courts to interfere in our operations. We are not averse to political settlement. Our doors are open for any peace talk”

He also stressed that the caretaker committee was still working towards a successful conduct of the August national convention in Port Harcourt amidst political or legal movements.