Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike has insisted that the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party will hold as planned in Port Harcourt despite the recent ruling of a court which sacked the interim working committee.

Prior to the court ruling, the Ahmed Makarfi led PDP had fixed the national convention for August 17 in Port Harcourt.

Wike, said the convention would hold as planned because the court was yet to hear the suit filed by ousted Ali Modu Sheriff challenging the proposed convention.

He explained this while speaking to the South-South Executive Committee of the PDP at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday.

Wike said, “The court could not have sacked Senator Makarfi because it cannot sit on appeal on the judgment of a court of coordinate jurisdiction.”

He further added that there was an application in court to allow Makarfi to be joined as a party in the suit which he revealed had been adjourned to August 15.

Furthermore, Wike explained that the Edo State chapter of the PDP would get the full support of the party in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.

“The PDP in the South-South cannot be complete until we take over Edo State. Therefore, I urge INEC to conduct free and fair election in Edo State and every other state where we have elections.

“I thank the party in Edo State for doing quite well in their campaigns. As an opposition party, they have promoted the party’s chances through committed campaigns,” he said.

Adebayo Emuleomo