The Nigerian Police this morning sealed off the venue of the National Convention of the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Port-Harcourt to prevent delegates from entering.

Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the Police, Don Awunah defended the action saying it was to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

The FPRO explained that the police were being proactive given that there are two warring factions in the PDP, as well as two conflicting court judgments.

Awunah said this when he appeared as a guest on a Television breakfast programme.

He said that the Police, as a neutral body, had to take charge to ensure that the situation does not degenerate.

“The situation is that we have conflicting court orders, the IG has been served a court order in Abuja, and so we have to obey the court order.

“If this court order has to be obeyed, what do we do about the venue? We take control of the venue to avoid two warring parties conflicting, to protect lives and properties in the state” he added.

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja had on Tuesday issued a stern warning to the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the PDP, asking it not to go ahead with the planned convention.

This was after factional Chairman of the PDP, Ali Modu-Sheriff, informed the court that the Makarfi faction planned to go ahead with the convention despite an earlier court order prohibiting it to do so.

Justice Abang also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to stay away from the proposed convention, while ordering the Inspector-General of Police to ensure that the Convention does not hold.

“Failure to comply with the order of the court will attract disciplinary action.

“The mighty will not escape just punishment. Whoever goes against the decision of this court will have themselves to blame,” Abang had warned.

Meanwhile, latest reports say that the PDP has extended the tenure of the Makarfi-led caretaker committee for one year.

The extension was agreed upon through a vote of confidence by the national delegates at the party’s secretariat in Port-Harcourt, the River State capital.

This follows the inability of the faction to go ahead with its scheduled convention as the venue had been cordoned off by the police.