Yobe PDP crisis deepens as Makarfi faction defies court restraining order

Jubilation over the emergence of Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party has given way to deeper crisis in some states.
Particularly in Yobe State, the impunity of Makarfi’s loyalists, who claim to be acting on orders from Abuja, has plunged the party into further crisis.
Makarfi’s loyalists are defying a court ruling which had restrained the caretaker committee from recognizing any other executive other than the one led by Alhaji Gana Lawan.
Available reports from Yobe State said ahead of the Special Convention of the PDP, the High Court of Justice in Damaturu issued an order restraining the National Caretaker Committee Chairman and others from recognizing Alhaji Sani Inwa Nguru as state chairman of the party.
Ruling on the suit, which has Alhaji Gana Lawan and 26 others as plaintiffs, Justice U. Z. Muhammed said: “It is hereby ordered the 1st defendant/respondents, any other than the applicants is/are hereby restrained from parading himself/themselves as chairman or state executive committee of PDP in Yobe State pending the determination of the plaintiff/applicants motion on notice.”
The defenders/respondents in the case are Alhaji Sani Inuwa Nguru, the PDP, the chairman PDP caretaker Committee, the Inspector General of police, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Director General of the Department of State Services.
The judge also ordered: “The 2nd-6th defendants (Makarfi and the party and others) are restrained from recognizing or dealing with other person(s) other than the plaintiffs/applicants pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”
The judge also ordered: “The 1st defendant/respondent is ordered to suspend all activities as chairman of PDP in Yobe and Status quo be maintained pending the determination of the motion on notice.”
Members of the party said the new crisis could have been avoided if Makarfi had acted on an earlier petition which had earlier been written to him, titled: “Complaint regarding and request for the immediate correction of the looming impertinence and impunity on our prestigious polity.”
The petition, written by Alhaji Lawan Gana Karasuwa as state chairman, referred to the subject of the state party executive.
It informed Makarfi of how the Gana-led executive emerged through due process.
It recalled the appointment of a nine-man caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party’s Yobe State chapter.
The approval was through the then National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, on April 18, 2016
Also, the petition stated that in accordance with the party’s constitution, the PDP NWC appointed an 11-man committee to conduct congresses for three adhoc ward delegates, Ward LGA and State in Yobe State and same was communicated to the Yobe State chapter of the party by the National Organizing Secretary (Abubakar Mustapha on April 29, 2016).
They argued that the process was duly followed to produce an executive with a tenure for 2016 to 2020.
In effect, they informed Makarfi that they are the duly elected executive of the PDP in Yobe State.
But events of recent weeks indicate that Makarfi’s loyalist with external encouragement are determined to subvert due process, a development that has unsettled the PDP in the state.
It could be recalled that since the Supreme Court affirmed Makarfi as National Caretaker Committee chairman of the PDP, factional crisis states has lingered.