Four For PDP Nat Chair …As Convention Opens In PH, Today …High Court Orders Police, INEC To Work

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention Screening Committee on Monday cleared four chairmanship candidates, including Chief Raymond Dokpesi, who remained undaunted despite zoning of the position to the South-West.
The screening of the candidates billed for elective positions during the National Convention is being chaired by former Benue State Governor, Dr Gabriel Suswam.
Other prominent members of the National Convention Screening Committee include: former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa,  former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa, former  Adamawa State governor, Boni Haruna,  former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and former Minister of Women Affairs,  Mrs Josephine Anenih.
The Rivers State Attorney General, Emmanuel Aguma, SAN, serves as secretary of the committee.
The Chairman of the committee, Dr Gabriel Suswam stated that the committee will screen 57 candidates who have purchased forms to contest elections.
The candidates screened on Monday include former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George, former Education Minister, Prof Tunde Adeniran, former governorship candidate in Lagos State in the 2015 elections, Jimi Agbaje, and Chairman of Daar Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi.
All four chairmanship candidates declared that they will accept the outcome of the National Convention, pledging that their loyalty remains with the party.
They declared that they would support the process to rebuild the PDP after the 17th August National Convention.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Daar Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dopkesi has vowed to contest the elections after the Southern leaders of the party zoned the chairmanship to the South-West.
Dokpesi’s quest is  not to bow out of the contest following a statement by the Caretaker of the National Executive of the PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi who said the position is zoned to the South.
Makarfi, while receiving Dokpesi in his Kaduna home recently had said that the race was open to all in the south. His assertion was despite the resolve by Southern leaders to sub-zone the office to the South West, an arrangement Dr. Raymond Dokpesi objected to.
The media mogul said, “I stand by what I’ve been saying that the race is open. Even though zoning has always been in the party’s constitution, it does not exclude other aspirants because nothing should exclude any other person and at the end of the day, the people will freely have access to all the candidates and freely vote for whoever they want.
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, had on Monday, validated today’s  National Convention of PDP, scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt, and also directed  the  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to monitor the party’s national convention.
The Federal High Court  also directed the Inspector-General of Police, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Police and the DSS  to provide security for the National Convention
He also ruled, “The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4thdefendants are hereby mandated to provide security for the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, August 17 2016 or any other date and venue pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice or the originating summons as the honourable court may decide.
The court declared that it found the affidavit tendered by the Plaintiff/applicant to be true, pointing out that it was at no point contested by the defendants, even though they were duly served.
Watila adjourned the suit to 16th August, 2016,for the hearing of the originating summons filed by Senator ben Obi.
Chairman of the PDP National Convention Planning Committee, and Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has declared that the convention will proceed today as scheduled.