PDP lashes out at Justice Abang, over controversial ruling sacking Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee
Fri Jul 29, 2016 01:27:pm Politics
3.3K By Buchi Obichie
The Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was on Thursday sacked by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
In a ruling by Justice Okon Abang, the court rendered null and void, every action the committee had taken since it emerged through a convention the party purportedly held in Port Harcourt on May 21.
In his ruling, Justice Abang stated: "Parties have an uncompromising duty to obey court order until it is set aside. The Lagos Division made orders on May 12 and 20, forbidding the PDP from removing the Sheriff-led Caretaker Committee. That order is still subsisting.
"Having regard to the order of the court, PDP had no lawful authority to hold the convention that led to the emergence of the Markafi-led committee. The convention was unlawfully held and the caretaker committee was unlawfully and illegally appointed and could not take any legal decision for the PDP, in view of the subsisting order of the Lagos Division of this court."
However, reacting to the development late on Thursday, the PDP pledged to go ahead with its national convention scheduled for August 17, even as it expressed concern over what it termed a spate of controversial rulings by Justice Abang on issues affecting the party.
Reacting, the party said it was strange that despite rulings by the Port-Harcourt Federal High Court affirming the legitimacy of the Port-Harcourt convention which enthroned the caretaker committee, Justice Abang decided to sit on appeal over a court of concurrent jurisdiction.
The Spokesman of the Makarfi-led caretaker committee, Prince Dayo Adedeye said: "What Justice Okon Abang did today is to sit on an appeal over the court of competent and coordinate jurisdiction and that's what makes his interlocutory order very strange. The judgment of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt was very clear that the National Caretaker Committee was duly constituted and recognized; and in line with that, the scheduled National Convention for August 17, 2016 still holds.
"The PDP wants Nigerians to know that Justice Okon Abang is deliberately engaging in acts of derailing the country's democracy given the fact that his court is not an Appeal Court that can set aside any judgment."
In a ruling by Justice Okon Abang, the court rendered null and void, every action the committee had taken since it emerged through a convention the party purportedly held in Port Harcourt on May 21.
In his ruling, Justice Abang stated: "Parties have an uncompromising duty to obey court order until it is set aside. The Lagos Division made orders on May 12 and 20, forbidding the PDP from removing the Sheriff-led Caretaker Committee. That order is still subsisting.
"Having regard to the order of the court, PDP had no lawful authority to hold the convention that led to the emergence of the Markafi-led committee. The convention was unlawfully held and the caretaker committee was unlawfully and illegally appointed and could not take any legal decision for the PDP, in view of the subsisting order of the Lagos Division of this court."
However, reacting to the development late on Thursday, the PDP pledged to go ahead with its national convention scheduled for August 17, even as it expressed concern over what it termed a spate of controversial rulings by Justice Abang on issues affecting the party.
Reacting, the party said it was strange that despite rulings by the Port-Harcourt Federal High Court affirming the legitimacy of the Port-Harcourt convention which enthroned the caretaker committee, Justice Abang decided to sit on appeal over a court of concurrent jurisdiction.
The Spokesman of the Makarfi-led caretaker committee, Prince Dayo Adedeye said: "What Justice Okon Abang did today is to sit on an appeal over the court of competent and coordinate jurisdiction and that's what makes his interlocutory order very strange. The judgment of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt was very clear that the National Caretaker Committee was duly constituted and recognized; and in line with that, the scheduled National Convention for August 17, 2016 still holds.
"The PDP wants Nigerians to know that Justice Okon Abang is deliberately engaging in acts of derailing the country's democracy given the fact that his court is not an Appeal Court that can set aside any judgment."
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