JUST IN: Police seals off Makarfi-led PDP’s meeting venue.

The police have prevented the Ahmed Makarfi faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from converging on the International Conference Center (ICC) for a meeting.

Makarfi’s group chose the venue after the ruling of the appeal court which recognised Ali Modu Sheriff as the legitimate chairman of the PDP.

On Friday, an appeal court sitting in Port Harcourt ruled in favour of Sheriff and also declared the convention which produced the caretaker committee led by Makarfi as illegal.

In a statement on Monday, Makarfi’s group alleged that Sheriff in league with the federal government planned to stop it from holding its meeting.

The caretaker committee announced that the meeting had been moved to the Ekiti state government lodge in Abuja.

“Senator Ali Modu Sheriff in collaboration with the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led federal government has barricaded the International  Conference Center, ICC, venue of the scheduled stakeholders meeting of  the entire organs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” the statement read.

“This is a very sad development in our democratic history where there is no longer free association and movement of citizens of this country.

“Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and his APC collaborators cannot stop the will of the people. Nigerians can now confirm that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is a mole in PDP to destroy the only strong opposition in the country.

“All invited members of the party for the scheduled  stakeholders meeting  are hereby directed to proceed to will the Ekiti State Government Lodge  on TY Danjuma Street, Asokoro, Abuja by same time, 2:00Pm.”