Appeal Court judgment: PDP organs support Makarfi, appeal judgment

Various organs of Peoples Democratic Party on Monday pledged support for the party’s National Caretaker Committee, headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi in spite of court verdict affirming Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as National Chairman.
The organs expressed the support during the party’s stockholders meeting held at Ekiti State House in Abuja.
The organs, including the Governors Forum, Board of Trustees, the National Assembly Caucus, Former Ministers Forum, Former Lawmakers, and State Chairmen also agreed to appeal the Friday’s judgment of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The Chairman of PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, who addressed newsmen at the end of the meeting, announced that the party’s organs agreed to appeal the judgment.
Fayose said all the groups passed a vote of confidence and expressed support for the caretaker committee led by Makarfi.
Fayose said: “We equally condemned the police for sealing the original venue of this meeting, the International Conference Centre.
“We are not in a banana republic; opposition must have life. Part of democracy is a verile opposition that can keep government of the day on it toes.”
Fayose said that the security agencies were now seen as representatives of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress.
Also, a chieftain of the party, Prof. Jerry Gana, said he was delighted that every organ of the party expressed support to Makarfi leadership and agreed that court verdict should be appealed.
Gana said: “We felt it is unjust and that the judgment should be appealed.”
On his part, Dayo Adeyeye, the Publicity Secretary of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, said the outcome of the meeting was “very encouraging” to the leadership and members of the party.
Adeyeye said: “What I will take away from this meeting is that PDP remains one happy family and we are ready to forge ahead.”
He said that the party had already filed an appeal for a stay of execution at Port Harcourt Court of Appeal and was headed to the Supreme Court.
He added that the caretaker committee would continue with its activities pending the outcome of the Supreme Court process.
Earlier, Makarfi had urged PDP members to rise up in the face of challenges to defend the party.
He expressed confidence that justice would be done on the leadership issue at the Supreme Court.
Markarfi condemned the action of the police in barricading the scheduled venue of the meeting.
Markarfi said: “It happened in Port Harcourt and it has happened here again. I don’t expect that this would be the last. A journey with a thousand miles starts with a step.
“When PDP was in power it could have stopped the formation of the APC but we did not do that; we will advise them to allow opposition party.
“People should be given a choice to have two, three or four alternatives.”
The Board of Trustees, represented by Chief Olabode George, said “no matter what anyone does, no one can stop PDP from moving forward”.
George urged party members to go out and tell the story that “PDP cannot be shaken”.