Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi
The Chairman of the newly constituted National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi has dismissed reports that the committee has been dissolved by Justice I. N. Buba of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
Makarfi, in a statement, described the report as a reckless misrepresentation of facts and distortion of information, stressing that no member of the PDP is bigger than the Party and no “office, person, organ, or institution within the PDP is bigger than the National Convention, which is the Supreme organ of the Party with powers, to even dissolve the Party itself.”
Clarifying the ruling by Justice Buba, the new committee Chairman explained that the report was carried out by some aggrieved members of the party out to mislead the public.
Makarfi said the ruling of Justice Buba neither touched on the National Convention of the Party though the party acknowledge that a Motion on Notice was pending before Justice Buba.
The statement reads, “Justice I. N. Buba did not make an order dissolving the Caretaker Committee. An order of Court could only be made if the court is presented with either a Motion Ex-Parte or Motion on Notice which the Court hears and makes appropriate order(s) as deemed necessary. No court makes an order not sought.
“The Plaintiffs in SUIT NO. FHC/L/CS/613/2016 had on Monday May 23, 2016 filed a Motion on Notice for the purpose of setting aside the National Convention of the Party held on Saturday May 21, 2016. The Motion on Notice is yet to be served on the Defendant (the PDP being the 2nd Defendant in the suit) as at today Wednesday 25 May, 2016.
“The suit comes up Friday May 27, 2016 for the hearing of all pending applications, including Motions for Stay of Proceeding/Execution of the Order of May 12, 2016 pending the Appeal already filed against the suit; Motion to Set-Aside and/or Vacate the order of May 12, 2016; Motion for joinder of certain persons; Motion on Notice by way of Notice of Preliminary Objection on ground of jurisdiction, among others.
“At the proceedings of Tuesday May 24, 2016 Counsel to the Plaintiff, R. A. Oluyede drew the attention of the court to the fact that the order of Court dated May 12, 2016 had not been complained with. And that the 2nd Defendant has gone ahead to conduct election into the offices of the National chairman, national secretary and national auditor.”
Makarfi stated that in compliance with the above order, no election was conducted into the above mentioned offices during the last Saturday’s National Convention of the party, adding that some members of the Nation Working Committee of the party were dissolved.
“The National Convention of the PDP, in the exercise of its powers under section 12.88 of the PDP Constitution, dissolved the National Working Committee and appointed some of its members as Caretakers Committee for the next ninety (90) days, to enable it pursue true reconciliation of its disputant members towards peaceful, amicable and political settlement of the disputes leading to the cases in court.
“No orders of injunction or any order whatsoever is granted or exists against appointing Caretaker Committee for the PDP.
“As at today, the only order that is direct, specific and subsisting on the National Convention is that of A. M Liman of the Federal High Court,” he added.
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