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Tag: Sheriff

  • Jonathan backs Sheriff as Makarfi vows to fight on

    Jonathan backs Sheriff as Makarfi vows to fight on

    Governors, others insist on caretakers

    Why we stopped  meeting, by police

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday endorsed Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman of the troubled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
    But the party’s key stakeholders, including governors, Board of Trustees (BoT) members, National Assembly Caucus and former ministers, passed a vote of confidence in the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee.
    Jonathan’s endorsement came amid protests by the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee and other critical organs of the party against the Appeal Court’s ruling that affirmed Sheriff’s chairmanship.
    Receiving Sheriff and members of his team at his Maitama, Abuja residence  yesterday, Jonathan, who kept addressing Sheriff as “my chairman”, said there were no factions in the party.
    Speaking after a closed door meeting with Sheriff and his team, Jonathan said: “We are not factionalised. We are one. There are bound to be differences in politics. We cannot run away from that.
    “It is the way we resolve these differences that makes us human beings and that is what makes us leaders. I have met with Sheriff. And I have met with others. I will still meet with others, so that we will be able to do what is expected of us as a political party.”
    Also speaking after the meeting, Sheriff said his mission was to unite the party and place it on a sound footing to provide credible opposition to the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.
    Saying he was still consulting, Sheriff stressed that there could be only one national chairman, adding: “We are putting everything together to ensure that the party is united.”
    “We are not fighting and this is no time to join issues with people. We want everybody to come back to the party. Very soon I will get back to you when I finish my consultations. I won’t tell you anything before I finish consultations.”
    He added that the constitution of the party does not recognise a caretaker committee.
    “There is only one PDP and there is only one national chairman. A group of people has the right to sit and discuss as only a group of people but not as PDP. If I go down to their level to exchange words with them, then I would not be different from them.
    “We don’t have anything like caretaker committee in our party. As father of the party, I will make sure everybody is united. I will make sure that everybody gets what they want in PDP.
    “By the time I finish my convention, Nigerians will know that we mean well for the party,” Sheriff said.
    At the enlarged stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Caretaker Committee, party chieftains took turns to denounce Sheriff, vowing to pursue the leadership tussle to the Supreme Court.
    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu decried what he described as the manipulation of vital institutions of democracy and radical decline of democratic freedoms in the country.
    Ekweremadu, who also attended the meeting of the Makarfi camp, said the solidarity of all key organs and bodies of the PDP towards the Makarfi-led PDP National Caretaker Committee showed that “it is not the hood that makes the monk”.
    Peeved by the sealing of the International Conference Centre (ICC) , the venue earlier announced for the meeting, Ekweremadu said “such flagrant manipulation of critical institutions of democracy was not only dangerous, but bad news for the nation’s democracy”.
    He said: “We are aware that all the institutions of democracy are being manipulated and harassed in this country. The National Assembly and the press are not left out.
    “The INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) has been captured and now a part of the All Progressives Congress. Our judiciary is being insulted and assaulted everyday. Their houses are being attacked very late at night and the judges are being harassed.
    “So, we are not surprised at what we are seeing today (sealing of meeting venue). But what remains is for us to remain resolute.”
    He expressed displeasure at what he described as the rise in political persecution in the country and enjoined PDP members to remain strong, as the party would work with Nigerians to restore true democracy and hope to the people.
    The lawmaker urged party members to remain resolute and protect the soul of the PDP and the nation’s hard-won democracy, insisting that the party leaders were made by the party faithful, and could never be imposed from outside.
    He continued: “If you look around this room, you will see a lot of people who are being harassed, persecuted, and taken to court. What is their offence?
    “They claim they allegedly received stolen property, yet nobody has been arraigned for the actual stealing. As a lawyer, I know that if you are being arraigned for receiving stolen property, you must first of all arraign the man who stole the property. That is not so in our own case. Is that democracy?”
    “We have heard there was a judgment in Port Harcourt. Now, those who benefitted from the judgment, where are they? Are they with our former ministers? Are they with our National Assembly members? Are they with our governors? Which organ of the party are they with or is with them? The truth is that it is not the hood that makes the monk”.
    “I believe that with determination and sticking together, we will triumph and Nigeria will be better for it”.
    Ekweremadu also decried the worsening economic conditions in the country, noting that all APC promises had been kept in the reverse order.
    “They told us that one U.S dollar would be one naira when they take over. Has that happened? Today, our currency is the worst currency in the whole of Africa.
    “Is that the type of democracy we looked forward to? I can see a situation where the price of oil is going up and the value of naira is going down. What type of economics is that?”.
    Makarfi vowed that Nigerians had not seen the end of the matter, adding that the Court of Appeal judgment that affirmed Sheriff as chairman was faulty.
    “As it happened in Port Harcourt, so it happened here. This is not the last. It’s an aberration to stop people from associating. When PDP was in power, it could have stopped the formation of the APC. The principle that people should be given a choice to participate in democracy should be encouraged.
    “We know what happened in Port Harcourt when the court gave its verdict. The type-written judgement is the main judgement but the hand written judgement, we don’t know what happened.”
    Makarfi said the Caretaker Committee had approached the court for an injunction to allow the committee to continue pending the determination of the cross appeal at the Supreme Court.
    A communique issued at the end of the meeting stated that while the party held the judiciary in the highest regard, the decision of the Court of Appeal was greeted with consternation, not only amongst leaders and members of the party in Nigeria, but also true lovers of democracy in Nigeria and the world over.
    Among the resolutions reached at the meeting was that the PDP remained united, strong, resolute, steadfast and solid under the leadership of the National Caretaker Committee, in view of the fact that the Court of Appeal is not the final court on the matter.
    The communique added: “All members, leaders and organs of the party, including but not limited to the Board of Trustees, the Governors Forum, the National Assembly Caucus, PDP Former Ministers Forum, National Vice Chairmen, State Chapters represented by the Conference of State Party Chairmen, Leadership of State Assembly Caucuses and teeming members nationwide, stand resolute that authority to lead the PDP, and indeed any party, solely and exclusively derives from the consent of members at plenary.
    “PDP members freely and clearly expressed themselves on the 21st May 2016 at the Port Harcourt National Convention and we stand by the decision given that the National Convention is the highest decision-making organ of the party.
    “That we fully endorse the prompt and proactive decision of the National Caretaker Committee to lodge an appeal to the Supreme Court of Nigeria against the decision of the Court of Appeal as well as filing an application for injunction pending appeal of which was done in the morning of Monday 20th February 2017.
    “Our abiding faith in the capacity of the judiciary to protect Nigeria’s democracy and political aspirations of the Nigerian people, particularly at the level of the Supreme Court, proven repeatedly over time, is aided by the profound, fearless, irrepressible, comprehensive and insightful minority decision of T. N. Orji-Abadua, J. C. A. in CA/PH/349/2016 SHERRIF & ORS. VS. PDP & ORS., whom we salute for doing the judiciary proud in spite of the predatory interferences of anti-democratic forces and state actors.
    “That having duly filed both an appeal to the Supreme Court and an application for Injunction Pending Appeal in the morning of Monday the 20th February 2017, we pass a resounding and unqualified vote of confidence in the leadership of the Sen. Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party and pledge our unalloyed support to it as it pilots the affairs of the party in this critical transitional period of the party’s life.
    “To this end, we are not at all deceived by the supposed olive branch being offered by Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, knowing that the only thing that can come from traitors of his ilk is nothing but a poisoned chalice and a Greek gift.
    “The meeting reiterates that the party’s Constitution stipulates the process of democratically electing officers of the party and therefore emphatically rejects any imposition such as those being illegally paraded as officers of the party by Sen. Ali Modu Sherrif.
    “That stakeholders and leaders of the party are enjoined to return to their geopolitical zones, states, local governments  and wards to convene meetings of the party and disseminate the foregoing to members.
    “True party men are urged to remain calm, steadfast, loyal even in the face of wanton provocation of sealing off the venue of a peaceful assembly of stakeholders. We remain committed to the ideals of the party which stands us out as democrats.
    “The meeting agreed to appeal to all Nigerians to fully support the Peoples Democratic Party, a genuinely democratic party that is people oriented and a great defender of equity, justice and fairness to all in its commitment to eradicating poverty, hunger and under-development from our country.”

    Police: why we stopped meeting at ICC

    The Police yesterday said they did not bar Ahmed Makarfi’s group from holding a meeting in Abuja.
    The police said they got intelligence report of an impending breakdown of law and order.
    A statement by the FCT Police Command Spokesman Anjuguri Manzah., said: “The attention of the FCT Police Command has been drawn to an online report subscribing that Police bar Makarfi faction of PDP from using the International Conference Centre (ICC) for a meeting.
    “The report was misleading, malicious and capable of misinforming members of the public on the statutory roles of the Nigeria Police Force to restore law and order, and guarantee the protection of lives and property throughout the country.
    “The story is absolutely a shadowy imagination of the writer and should be disregarded.
    “Credible Intelligence at the disposal of the FCT Police Command indicated that the two factions i.e. the Ahmed Makarfi Group and the Ali Modu Sheriff Group scheduled to hold their meetings at the International Conference Centre (ICC) today and this can lead to serious clash and breach of Public peace.
    “The Command did not close down the International conference Centre nor barred the Makarfi faction of PDP from using the ICC for meeting as alleged in the report but intervened to prevent a breakdown of law and order by advising the Management of the ICC not to allow any of the group to use the place for any meeting. However, the Command provided visible security for the Ahmed Makarfi Group when they relocated to Ekiti State Government lodge in Asokoro, Abuja despite not been informed.
    “To this end, the FCT Police Command wishes to assure the media of its support and cooperation to ensure law and order, crime-free society and credible reportage.”

     

  • Jonathan endorses Sheriff as PDP chairman

    Jonathan endorses Sheriff as PDP chairman

    President Goodluck Jonathan has endorsed Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    But the party’s key stakeholders, including governors, the Board of Trustees members, National Assembly Caucus and former ministers have passed a vote of confidence in the Ahmed Makarfi led Caretaker Committee.

    The endorsement by Jonathan came amid protests by the Makarfi led Caretaker Committee and other critical organs of the party against the Appeal Court’s ruling that affirmed Sheriff’s position as chairman.

    While receiving Sheriff and members of his team at his Maitama, Abuja, residence on Monday, Jonathan who kept addressing Sheriff as “my chairman,” said there are no factions in the party.

    Speaking after a closed door meeting with Sheriff and his team, Jonathan said, “We are not factionalised. We are one. There are bound to be differences in politics. We cannot run away from that.

    “It is the way we resolve these differences is what makes us human beings and that is what makes us leaders. I have met with Sheriff. And I have met with others. I will still meet with others, so that we will be able to do what is expected of us as a political party.”

    Also speaking after the meeting, Sheriff said his mission was to unite the party and place it on sound footing to provide credible opposition to the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government.

    Stating that he was still making consultations, Sheriff said there can be only one national chairman, adding that, “we are putting everything together to ensure that the party is united.”

    “We are not fighting and this is no time to join issues with people. We want everybody to come back to the party. Very soon I will get back to you when I finish my consultations. I won’t tell you anything before I finish consultations,” he added.

     

     

  • Sheriff meets Jonathan as security bars PDP meeting

    Sheriff meets Jonathan as security bars PDP meeting

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, on Monday met with former President Goodluck Jonathan at the ex-President’s Abuja home.

    The meeting took place hours after security agencies cordoned off the International Conference Centre, where the party Caretaker Committee, led by Ahmed Makarfi was to hold an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting.

    Sheriff arrived at Jonathan’s Maitama home at 4.25 p.m., accompanied by some members of his National Working Committee (NWC).

    Those that accompanied Sheriff included the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh; National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo and the National Financial Secretary, Adewole Adeyanju.

    Others are former Political Adviser, Ahmed Gulak; a former Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama and Senator Umar Gada, among others.

    Details of the meeting are known at the time of filing this report.

     

     

     

  • Fani-Kayode: Sheriff’s supporters misguided

    Fani-Kayode: Sheriff’s supporters misguided

    Former Minister of Aviation Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, yesterday described members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking support for Ali Modu Sheriff as “naive and misguided”.

    In a statement, he said: “Those that say that they will work with Ali Modu Sheriff are misguided and naive.

    “Worse still anyone that calls for members of the PDP to rally behind him and recognise him as our National Chairman is a simpleton and a fool.

    “I say this because the man is evil: he is an agent of destruction and no good can come out of him. I was the first to see him for what he was and “I said so publicly.

    “Then came the PDP Ministers Forum who also stood their ground. At first no-one believed us until eventually 90 per cent of our party members lined up behind those of us that opposed Sheriff and that supported Makarfi.

    “I read his insulting comments about Fayose and Wike and I laughed. Are these not the very same people that brought him in the first place and convinced others in the PDP Governors Forum to support him?

    “Now he has finished using them to get what he wanted he is insulting them and saying that they must be kicked out of the party and dealt with.

    “I say shame on him because that will never happen. Fayose particularly has proved his worth to Nigeria and Wike has stood firm and strong in defence of his people and state. They are both lions and I am proud to stand with them and Makarfi.

    “Sheriff is nothing but a traitor who is biting the fingers that fed him. Fayose is one million times the man he is. As a matter of fact so are almost all the governors and other party leaders. Sheriff comes nowhere near any of us in any shape or form.

    “This is a man whose fundamental purpose and ambition in life is to sell the PDP down the river and to help the ruling APC and the Buhari government to destroy us and win the presidential election in 2019.

    “Sheriff is the Angel of Death to the PDP. He is worse than the bubonic plague: not only is he a curse to our party but he is also an affliction to our nation.

    “I stand with Ahmed Makarfi and our Caretaker Commitee and unless and until the Supreme Court says so he remains our National Chairman” – Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, 19th February 2017.”

  • Sheriff’s victory temporary, says Fayose

    Sheriff’s victory temporary, says Fayose

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose yesterday declared that Friday’s Court of Appeal judgment which affirmed Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not last.

    He said all the organs of the PDP would not allow Sheriff to inherit the party legally as they have thrown their weight behind the sacked Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led  National Caretaker Committee.

    Speaking during his monthly media chat, “Meet Your Governor”, aired on the radio and television channels of the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES) on Saturday, Fayose expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would do justice on the leadership crisis.

    Fayose also warned politicians visiting President Muhammadu Buhari to allow him rest, adding that the nation’s number one citizen needs prayers.

    He said: “I believe the President needs enough privacy and time to rest. People should allow him to rest. Many people are going there to convince us that he is okay. He needs to rest and we don’t need eye service at this point.

    “I have not been criticising him because he is sick; when he gets back I will. And my criticisms are to put the government on its toes. His handlers are only not helping matters by saying one thing now and another thing tomorrow. The sickness could be out of fatigue or due to old age.”

    Fayose, who is also the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, expressed confidence that the lingering crisis would not affect the chances of the party and its eventual candidate in the 2018 governorship poll in Ekiti.

    The governor warned some individuals planning to invade the party secretariat consequent upon the Appeal Court verdict to shelve the plan or face the full wrath of the law.

    He said: “Sheriff and his gang are only day-dreaming. On our side are the governors, members of the Board of Trustees, the National Assembly caucus, former public office holders, party supporters in the grassroots.

    “If they think they can inherit the party illegally, that is a pipe dream.  Those planning to invade the PDP secretariat here should be warned. They must not toy with fire.

    “I  received a lot of calls from people over Friday’s judgment and the possibility of the development affecting our candidate here in 2018 poll. I want to assure you all that what they did in Edo and Ondo states cannot happen here.

    “We are still under the leadership of the Senator Ahmed Markafi-led National Caretaker Committee and we are taking the matter to the Supreme Court.

    “Remember that when we got a judgment from the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt declaring Sheriff’s claim to the leadership of the party illegal, null and void, Sheriff and his group were still going about parading themselves as leaders of the party.

    “This is because they know that the judgment of the High Court is not the last on the matter. So also the appellate court judgment of Friday is not the final on the issue. The Supreme Court is there and it’s the apex court in the country and we are taking the matter there.

    “ As for the chances of our candidate in next year’s poll, God is giving us an expected end and that is victory over the All Progressives Congress and their cohorts. Three things are critical to winning election, namely, the people, the party and the candidate.

    “Of these three, the people are the most important and those that are with us are more than those that are with our opponents.”

  • PDP governors reject Sheriff …as Appeal Court sacks Makarfi

    PDP governors reject Sheriff …as Appeal Court sacks Makarfi

    Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vowed yesterday to have nothing to do with Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff moments after the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt reinstated  him as the rightful chairman of the party.

    The party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) led by Senator Walid Jibrin is similarly not disposed to doing business with the former Borno State governor as  party chair.

    The Appeal Court, by a split decision, yesterday dismissed Senator Ahmed Makarfi as chairman of the caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party and nullified the party’s  national convention in Port Harcourt that established the caretaker committee.

    The process that led to the  creation of the caretaker committee ,it said, was   an abuse of court process.

    Senator Sheriff was restored as the rightful national chairman of the party.

    Reaction  from the PDP Governors Forum to the court verdict was swift in coming.

    Its chairman and ardent opponent of Sheriff,Governor Ayodele Fayose   Reacting  on behalf of the PDP governors in Abuja, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State said the judgement was an assault on  the will of the people.

    “If the people truly symbolize what a party is, then the machinations of ýdetractors and the anti-democratic forces will not prevail at last”, Fayose said.

    ýThe governors however commended the minority judgement on the issue and expressed the hope that truth would prevail.

    “Thank God we have another opportunity to seek justice at the Supreme Court, which I believe will not be delayed or denied.

    “The party will appeal the judgement as we believe in the ability of the judiciary to do justice”.

    On his part,Jibrin said the party was making high level consultations over the judgment and that the various organs of the party would come out with a statement on Tuesday.

    “This judgement is not a threat but rather it is going to put us together. I appeal strongly to every member of the PDP to remain calm, not to panic, ýnot to move to any other party as all efforts are on to ensure that PDP remains strong.

    “Those who are crying today will laugh; those who are disturbed and worried will smile”, Jibrin declared.

    The BoT chair expressed the hope that the matter would soon be resolved by the party

    But Sheriff, flushed by the verdict, vowed to restructure the party “such that characters like Wike and Fayose cannot find a way through to attain any position of prominence in our party in the future.”

    He was referring to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State both of whom initially backed his ambition to lead the party  only to back out a few hours to the commencement of the  botched Port Harcourt convention.

    The two governors, he said in his first reaction to the court’s ruling,  ” have brought shame and agony through the application of their crude and godless politics which is at variance with the principles upon which our founding fathers built our great party. We must find a way to sieve things so that only men of character and integrity can come through for positions of responsibility at all levels of our political engagement in the country.”

    Makarfi in  his own reaction at a press conference in Kaduna described the court  ruling as a temporary setback.

    He said the PDP  would overcome the set back politically and legally and would come out of it strongerý and bigger.

    “We have utmost respect for the judiciary. So we are not going to take the laws into our hands. We might not agree with the judgement but there is a process and procedure if you did not agree with something,” he said.

    Counsel to his faction of the party,Mr.Oladeji Lamikanra (SAN) said his clients would head to the Supreme Court on the issue.

    Two out of the three members of the  Appeal Court panel  – Justices B.G Sanga and A.B Gumel –  said the Port Harcourt  convention where Makarfi was picked as caretaker committee chairman of the party was in contravention of a court order and the court would not close its eyes to such illegality.

    They thus upheld the judgment of Justice Ibrahim Buba and set aside the  judgment of Justice Muhammed Liman of Port Harcourt Federal High Court  which had pronounced the convention as legal.

    Sanga who read the lead judgement said that PDP convention of 21 May 2016, did not follow the provisions of Article 47(3) of the party’s  constitution in the removal of the Sherrif-led National Working Committee.

    For instance, he said  no vote of confidence was passed on Sheriff or the committee as provided by the said article, and the national working committee was not put on notice.

    He stated that Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, held in error when he said that the appellant committed abuse of court process by postponing the PDP convention.

    Justice Gumel, who is also the Presiding Judge of the court aligned with Sanga.

    He said that the preliminary objection filed by the PDP was incompetent.

    He held that Sheriff and his executive could not be removed until August, 2017, except the party held an election.

    Gumel described the originating summons in the suit at the Federal High Court as over-reaching, and ordered the parties to maintain the status quo.

    The judges said that the convention disobeyed a court order and that the court would not close its eye to such illegality.

    They upheld the judgment of Justice Mohammed Buba of the Federal High Court, Lagos, and set aside the judgment of Justice Mohammed Liman of Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, which upheld the convention and its outcome.

    The court awarded N100, 000 to Sheriff, to be paid by the nullified national caretaker committee’s Chairman, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Inspector-General of Police and Department of State Service (DSS).

    However, Justice T.S. Orji-Abadua, in his dissenting rulingt, upheld Justice Liman’s judgment, saying that the Port Harcourt convention was legal.

    According to her, the PDP national convention was in line with the 2012 amended Constitution of the party and not an abuse of court process.

    The judge held that Ali Amodu Sheriff had no powers to cancel the party’s national convention.

    She said that Sheriff was only appointed in an acting capacity, pending election.

    Justice Orji-Abadua said “going by Article 33(3) of the PDP Constitution, Sheriff does not possess overriding powers over the PDP National Executive Council and therefore, had no right to unilaterally cancel the May 21, 2016, convention.

    She said that Sheriff erroneously and unwittingly absented himself from the May 21 convention after being screened, which prompted the party to invoke Article 31(1) of its Constitution and set up a caretaker committee.

    She also held that Article 47 did not make it mandatory for the PDP to pass a vote of confidence before removing its officers and therefore, upheld the outcome of the convention and the caretaker committee.

    Orji-Abadua stated that Sheriff had no powers to cancel PDP national convention.

    She awarded a cost of N100, 000 against Sheriff.

    Speaking to reporters later,counsel to the Makarfi faction, Mr. Laminkanra (SAN)  said his client would  go to Supreme court to appeal  the judgement.

    Ali-Modu Sheriff said in his   reaction that he will “urgently steer the ship of PDP clear of the path of infamy which Wike and Fayose has brought our party.

    “ That is the urgent task we have. We cannot continue to advertise thug brand and expect Nigerians to take us seriously”.

    Senator Makarfi ,speaking in Kaduna said: “as an individual, I cannot decide for the party until the party stakeholders meet and take a definite decision.

    “The party will meet on Monday to take a decision of the Court of Appeal Judgement. Every person concerned has been notified. The governors, members of the National Assembly, members of the Board of trustees and Party officials.”

    He asked  party members to remain calm.

    He added: “We will not allow opposition to be killed. We must strive to ensure that we survive for the sake of democracy and the country. ”

    Asked whether the  Sheriff faction would allow him to use the PDP national Secretariat on Monday,Makarfi said  he is not in a position to tell the world what Sheriff will do.

    But he said he would  be surprised if security agencies will allow him Sheriff access to the party secretariat.

    “When a court ruled in our favour sometime ago, we were not allowed to occupy the secretariat. So, we are going to see what happens this time around” he said.

    Counsel to Sheriff,Prince Ajibola Oluyede said ysetrday’s judgement is a vindication of an earlier ruling of Justice Abang of the Federal High Court  on the illegality of the Makarfi faction.

    He said: “Our preliminary objection raised before Liman J. which he rejected has now been upheld by the court of appeal and Liman J.’s judgment set aside in a unanimous decision.

     ”It is an all round victory for justice and truth.

     “One can only hope that the PDP will take this as a clean slate to rebuild a party that can stand the test of time.”

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, asked PDP members and supporters not to worry over the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, on the lingering party leadership tussle.

    Ekweremadu stated this while reacting to the Court judgment which declared Ali Modu Shariff authentic chairman of the PDP.

    Ekweremadu said,”There is no cause for alarm. The party leadership will meet as soon as possible to take a decision on the best way forward.

    “I enjoin party faithful to remain steadfast as we will surely emerge stronger from the present challenges. Those dreaming about the death of the opposition in Nigeria will have to sleep much longer, and still wake up to meet us much stronger because a vibrant opposition is the beauty of democracy”.

    Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani- Kayode said on his Twitter handle that  ”It’s time for us to gut the PDP, leave its carcass for Sheriff and form a new party.”

    He also tweeted :”The decision by the Court of Appeal in PH to recognise Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the Nat. Chairman of the PDP is a victory for @MBuhari.”

  • Court declares Sheriff as PDP chairman

    Court declares Sheriff as PDP chairman

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Friday declared Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as authentic chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    A three-man panel of the appellate court delivered the verdict on the leadership tussle rocking the party.

    Sheriff and former Governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarffi, are both laying claim to the party chairmanship position.

    Makarfi was appointed the chairman of the PDP National Caretaker Committee at last year’s botched national convention of the party held in Port Harcourt.

    Meanwhile,  the counsel to Sheriff’s faction of the PDP, Prince Ajibola Oloyede, has described the appellate court verdict as “all round victory for justice and truth.”

    “One can only hope that the PDP will take this as a clean slate to rebuild a party that can stand the test of time,” he said.

     

     

  • Southwest PDP urges Sheriff, Makarfi to reconcile

    Southwest PDP urges Sheriff, Makarfi to reconcile

    The National Vice Chairman  of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) (South-West), Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, has urged the actional chairmen, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi, to reconcile their differences in the interest of the party.

    In a statement in Lagos,  Ogundipe urged both leaders to convince the teaming PDP faithful and Nigerians that they meant well for the party.

    He said the South West PDP recognised Sheriff and Makarfi as leaders, sadding that the electoral success of the party should be their priority.

    Ogundipe added:“It will be of great interest if our warring leaders reconcile today and begin to move the party forward.

    “These distinguished Nigerians have  proved their point. It is time to convince the teeming PDP faithful that they meant well for the party.”

    While chiding those who instigated the crisis, Ogundipe said the true leaders are those still holding on to the party.

    He said: “It is on this strength that we commend the neutrality of the Chairman of the South West Contact and Mobilisation Committee, Senator Buruji Kashamu, for making  sure the party is returned to its old winning self, with no victor and vanquished.

    “What the crisis cost us in Edo and Ondo governorship elections were enough prices to be paid. As we approach Ekiti and Osun electoral engagements, we don’t want to suffer the same fate as posterity will not forgive us.”

    The zonal leader described the PDP as a viable alternative party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stressing that the proposed  mega party may be as a result of the lingering instability in the PDP.

  • Sheriff is an agent in PDP, says Fayose

    Sheriff is an agent in PDP, says Fayose

    Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose yesterday described the factional Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, as an agent in the opposition party.

    He said the former governor of Borno State has been working with external forces to divide and destabilise the party.

    Fayose told reporters in Lagos that efforts to forge unity in the fold have been truncated by Sheriff, who he likened his case to a woman in a romantic affair with another man other than her husband.

    He said a peace meeting hosted by Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo to resolve the protracted leadership crisis failed to restore peace because Sheriff was indifferent.

    Fayose said: “Sheriff is an agent. When a lady’s  heart is with another man, there is no magic the husband can perform.”

    The governor spoke on the state of the nation, particularly the killings in Southern Kaduna, saying that they were despicable.

    He said his heart melted, following reports about the inhumanity of man to man, lamenting that no one has been arrested and brought to book for the violence.

    Fayose said it was worrisome that people were lined up to be killed and residents were displaced from towns and villages.

    The governor lamented that what happened in the past were being repeated, pointing out that human rights abuses and desecration of the ballot box have continued unabated.

    Fayose vowed to intensify his criticism of the Buhari government, saying that he took up the patriotic assignment in the national interest.

    He said: “Threats of incarceration and death would not deter me from fighting the cause of justice. If I die, life has been kind to me. But, I will not die a coward.”

    Urging Nigerians to desist from the culture of silence, Fayose added: “There is the need for us to stand up for something in the society.”

    The governor chided the Federal Government for a doubtful empowerment scheme marred by hypocritical implementation.

    He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) has failed to fulfil its promise of change in the last 18 months.

    Fayose also said the victory of soldiers over the terrorists in Sambisa forest should be viewed with suspicion and reservation. He said it is easy to manufacture flags and bring the holy book from anywhere and camouflage them as the property of the Boko Haram sect.

  • Sheriff: I’m the greatest casualty of Boko Haram

    Sheriff: I’m the greatest casualty of Boko Haram

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) factional National Chairman Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has said he is the greatest casualty of Boko Harm sect.

    Sheriff said he lost his brothers, cousins and their relations to the sect and yet his enemies turned around to say he created Boko Haram.

    The former Borno State governor, who spoke at a PDP stakeholders’ meeting in Makurdi, Benue State yesterday, added that he was the happiest man because the military crushed the sect.

    He alleged that those who accused him have been arrested for their involvement.

    Sheriff hailed the military for defeating the insurgents.

    On the state of the party, he said: “I want to assure faithful PDP members that impunity must be put to an end and the party return to the owners. Nobody will sit in the comfort of his room and decide the fate of over 10 million members,” said Sheriff.

    He said there was nothing like caretaker chairman in the PDP constitution, stressing that those parading themselves as such were just on a jamboree trip.

    He lambasted former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and Prof. Jerry Gana, who he said have achieved everything in life and yet “acting the script of four small boys, who are governors”.

    Sheriff and his entourage were welcomed by many PDP supporters.

    PDP factional national chairman at Egba village in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government, Edo State, said the party under his leadership was leading the war against impunity to allow people’s votes to count.

    He spoke at the foundation laying ceremony of a skill acquisition centre facilitated by the lawmaker representing Egor/Ikpoba-Okha at the National Assembly, Ehiozuwa Agbonnayima.

    Sheriff said a successful fight against impunity would make the people elect trusted representatives at party primaries and general elections.

    He was represented by his factional National Publicity Secretary Bernard Mikko.

     Sheriff promised that PDP would continue to support the growth of political institutions.

    He said: “We are in time of recession in our country. Our country has been challenged. It is normal in every economy. In 1929, the USA had depression, which was beyond recession. The only way to get out of recession is creativity, imparting skills in our sons, daughters and youths.”