Nigeria, May 21, 2016 – Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), National Convention Planning Committee and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has explained why the 2016 convention is going on today as scheduled.
He said though there are two conflicting court orders on the conduct of the National Convention, lawyers of the party have filed stay of execution processes and appealed both orders, hence the party has not disobeyed any subsisting order.
He noted that under legal procedures, once a court order is timeously challenged, an affected party cannot said to have disobeyed any order.
Addressing newsmen at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday, Governor Wike said that the national convention in the Garden City is the only one recognised by law, with all the necessary legal steps obsessed.
He said the parallel convention being talked about has no place in the party structure as it has no connection to the legally constituted organs of the party.
The press conference had Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state, Engr David Umahi of Ebonyi State and the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio in attendance.
He explained that the Port Harcourt convention of the party is the only recognised by law because it was approved by all the organs of the party.
He said: “All our 12 elected governors, National Assembly members, State Assembly members and key leaders are already in Port Harcourt for the convention.
“INEC has already recognised this convention and it will be in Port Harcourt to observe the convention as required by law”.
In his remarks, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio welcomed all PDP delegates to the convention.
Secretary of the National Convention Planning Committee and Ebonyi State Governor, Engr David Umahi urged delegates to the convention to conduct themselves peacefully during the convention.
