PDP convention in Port-Harcourt is an illegality that‘ll be quash- Dr Ojougboh

****Says money can’t win election, but people do

By Onitsha Shedrack————————

 

Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, the Deputy National Chairman to the Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has described the August 17^th, 2016 party convention in Port Harcourt by Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led faction as an act of illegality that will soon be quashed by a superior court.

 

Speaking in an interview with journalist at the stakeholder’s consultative meeting of Niger Delta coastal states held at Effurun, Delta State over the weekend, stated that the Port Harcourt convention organized was a charade that will not stand legal scrutiny.

 

According to him, “there was no convention in Port Harcourt, what happened was an illegality.The next line of action for us is that those that went to Port Harcourt would come back to Abuja, then we would sit down and we talk. What happened in Port Harcourt on August 17 was illegal.

 

“What we were telling them is that there is no need to rush to convention and that we needed to sort out the problem in-house before we go for convention they said no, the convention must hold.

 

“But you see what the child would climb up to go and look for, the elder seating down, obviously have seen it.

 

“They have gone to Port Harcourt and given themselves one year and the reason for this, it is to make sure that there is time so that all of us can sit down and talk.

 

“We are in the Court of Appeal and in the next 2 to 3 weeks, you would see what would happen. Everything they have done is illegal. So, the court has declared, the ones they said they have against us, we have gone to the appeal and we would clear it.

 

“And atimes, some of them that are very irresponsible and recalcitrant, would start talking about third party. Even if they gather again and go there, they would still carry impunity there and the problem would still continue to be with them.”

 

He also accused a governor who is the chairman of the convention of allegedly changing the delegate list thereby causing a fight a night leading to the convention, hence the convention itself wouldn’t have held, adding that nothing good can come out from him of the chairman.

 

On how to restore peace to the party Ojougboh we have said, “Sheriff must be recognized as the chairman of the party and we must go back to the party secretariat, sit down, call all members together, and then take it one by one.

 

“This time around, if you are a governor and steal all the money in your state that is your business but we in the PDP won’t recognize and respect that money because PDP had all the money in the last election, we went for general election, what did we do? We lost.

 

You have seen what is happening in Nigeria, the youths are angry including the youths in PDP; we want to bring them back. Money does not win elections. What wins election is the respect you have for human beings and yourself.

 

 Denying reports that Alhaji Sheriff is being sponsored by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to destabilize the PDP, Ojougboh said: “Let me tell you those who have affiliation with the APC. The governor who is the chairman of the convention committee, they all have affiliation with the APC and are the people working for the APC within the PDP.

 

“Myself as you see me, do I look like I have affiliation with the APC? The Dr. Cario Ojougboh you know, can I have any affiliation with the APC?

 

“They have a predetermined candidate who is not yet who is not yet in the party that they want to fund, they want to take the party, and give it to that person and we are saying no.

 

“The reason we are saying no is because our party and ticket is not for sale and you cannot buy the PDP that is why when you see me stand on something, I stand for principle, this has got nothing to do with money and I have respect for God and human beings and that is what I stand for.”