Court suspends party's national convention

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, August 15, 2016 suspended the Peoples Democratic Partys (PDP) convention planned by the Ahmed Makarfi faction of the party.

The presiding judge, Justice Okon Abang disagreed with Ben Obi, a former senator who filed an application to be joined in the case as a respondent.

Obi got an order of the Port Harcourt division of the court for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agents to be present at the convention.

Obi alongside Makarfi and some PDP members, had sought to join in the suit to stop the convention by the Ali Modu Sheriff faction.

"Obi cannot undermine the authority of this court. Senator Ben Obi cannot treat the court with disdain and levity," Justice Abang said.

“‎Where a party has taken law into its hands, and to maintain the dignity and integrity of the court and in the over all interest of justice, taking into consideration the competing claims of the parties, an order is hereby made in the interim suspending the PDP convention slated for August 17, 2016, pending when the plaintiff motion on notice dated July 20 is served ,” he added.

Justice Abang adjourned the matter to August 16 to give Obi’s counsel time to prepare for an intending application from Sheriff’s group.

Meanwhile, Femi Fani-Kayode has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of using Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to destroy the PDP.Follow Femi Olu-Kayode(FFK) on Twitter

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