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Tag: Sheriff

  • Sheriff considers political solution to PDP crisis 

    Sheriff considers political solution to PDP crisis 

    After visiting ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and some former Heads of State,  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) factional chair  Ali Modu Sheriff and his loyalists are weighing options on political solution to the crisis.

    About six governors of the party were also said to have shifted to Sheriff’s camp and coordinating efforts to find a political solution.

    It was learnt that Sheriff, his factional National Working Committee (NWC), some ex-governors and other key supporters may meet today in Abuja to take stock of the situation.

    It was learnt that all those consulted by Sheriff advised him to consider a political solution to save the opposition from collapse.

    Although three former Heads of State agreed that Sheriff had cogent reasons for sticking to a legal option, they asked him to “sacrifice for the survival of the nation’s democracy.”

    It was learnt that Sheriff felt bad about the alleged plot by Governors Nyesom Wike and Ayodele Fayose to humiliate out of office.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Despite the fact that we may have legal advantage, Sheriff’s camp is weighing options on political solution to the lingering PDP crisis.

    “All consultations and representations made to our camp so far have pointed to political solution because the PDP crisis is becoming a national security threat.

    “In fact, weekend’s session between ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and Sheriff focused more on the security implications of a viable opposition going under. Obasanjo was more concerned about the lawlessness the nation might be plunged into without a strong opposition.

    “Some of those who have pleaded with Sheriff believe that there is a political vacuum in the country which PDP is not filling.”

    The source added: “Sheriff will on Monday (today) meet with his loyalists and NWC members to take stock and decide on the way forward. The truth is that if it is about judicial option, Sheriff has an edge but he cannot ignore all those who have advised him.

    “There is likely to be a meeting point soon between the Sheriff Group and Sen. Ahmed Maikarfi Caretaker Committee in order to keep the party united.

    “At the end of the day, the two factions might go for an out-of-court settlement to move the party forward. With the way things are going, most of the cases at hand may remain in court till 2019 going by the slow pace of justice.”

    It was learnt that the six governors who have teamed up with Sheriff were said to have parted ways with Wike and Fayose, allegedly influenced the choice of Abuja for the next National Convention of the PDP.

    Another source added: “These six governors have realized that Wike and Fayose are much more fixated on the 2019 agenda than the survival of PDP. They have shifted base to Sheriff and they are coordinating efforts to resolve the challenges facing the party.

    Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday said PDP was already in coma and needed intensive care.

  • Obasanjo, Sheriff meet in Abeokuta

    Obasanjo, Sheriff meet in Abeokuta

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday held a closed- door meeting with a factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) , Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, at his Presidential Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    Sheriff arrived Obasanjo’s residence at 11:06am in a convoy of four vehicles.

    Details later…

  • Sheriff’s faction relocates Ondo PDP primary to Ibadan

    Sheriff’s faction relocates Ondo PDP primary to Ibadan

    The faction of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) controlled by Senator Ali Sheriff has relocated its governorship primary to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, following security reason.

    The faction was to pick its candidate for the November 26 election in Akure, the state capital, today.

    A statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Yemi Akintomide, said the primaries would now hold at the PDP Southwest zonal secretariat in Ibadan.

    The statement said the Ahmed Gulak-led Committee constituted by  Sheriff had taken over the conduct of the primary from the State Executive Committee, with its Chairman, Biyi Poroye, as member.

    It urged aspirants and party delegates to move to Ibadan yesterday in preparation for the primary.

    The statement said: “We are not aware of any court injunction stopping the primary, as all court pronouncements were in favour of the Senator Alimodu Sheriff-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP.”

    Five aspirants, including Jimoh Ibrahim, Sola Ebiseni, Bamiduro Dada, Niran Sule-Akinsuyi and the only female, Mrs. Abiye, are contesting.

    The Makarfi faction, where Governor Olusegun Mimiko belongs, conducted its primary election last Monday.

    The former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Eyitayo Jegede, won the faction’s election, scoring 760 votes against his opponent, Saka Lawal, who got 22 votes.

  • How Sheriff aided Boko Haram, by Borno AG

    How Sheriff aided Boko Haram, by Borno AG

    Borno State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Kaka Shehu Lawan, has listed 40 ways former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff allegedly aided and abetted Boko Haram violence.

    Lawan said he was a discussant in a paper delivered by Prof Mohammed Tabiu of the Bayero University, Kano, titled: “Strengthening the Justice Sector: Implications and Challenges of National Security And Economic Growth”.

    In his contributions, he accused Sheriff engaging in acts of impunity that led to the festering of the sect while he was governor from 2003 to 2011.

    Reacting, Sheriff reportedly asked Lawan to publish facts in support of his connection to Boko Haram.

    Lawan, in statement, listed the “40 facts”, which he said were ether unknown to many or were simply ignored or suppressed.

    He said in 2008, Borno under Sheriff established a special joint police and military anti-robbery squad called Operation Flush, with the commander reporting directly to the governor rather than the Commander of the 21 Armoured Brigade in Maiduguri.

    According to Lawan, on June 11, 2009, a detachment of Operation Flush intercepted a group of Boko Haram members then known Yan Yusufiyya who were on a funeral procession and sought to know why they rode on motorcycles without wearing crash helmets.

    “An armed member of the Operation Flush eventually opened fire on 17 members of the Boko Haram sect with some of them sustaining fatal shots and were admitted at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital,” he said.

    He said the state government disregarded the incident and did not condemn it, with the sect’s leader Malam Muhammad Yusuf threatening a reprisal attack in a newpaper interview.

    “A day or so after the interview, Yusuf delivered a sermon in Hausa language,  titled, Open letter to President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’ and directed his followers to go and arm themselves in preparation of self defense and eventful Jihad in response to the shooting of his 17 followers.

    “Even while Muhammad Yusuf issued this directive and threat for Jihad, Governor Ali Modu Sheriff still disregarded the possible room to make peace with the sect,” Lawan said.

    According to him, on July 21, 2009, nine members of the sect were arrested for possessing 74 empty bomb shells and materials for improvised explosive devices, which they said was in preparation to defend themselves against Sheriff’s operation flush.

    He said a counter-insurgency operation was launched by the Federal Government, with soldiers deployed to Maiduguri, targeting Yusuf’s enclave which is the sect’s headquarters.

    “After the sect was dislodged, Sheriff invited traditional ward heads and ordered them to point at houses belonging to fleeing sect members with most of the houses brought down,” Lawan said.

    According to him, Boko Haram attacks did not preceded Sheriff’s administration.

    He said: “Shortly after winning the 2003 elections, Ali Modu Sheriff created the Ministry of Religious Affairs under a pioneer Commissioner, Buji Foi with who was later found to be one of the financiers of the sect under Yusuf. However, Sheriff didn’t introduce Sharia.

    “Whereas Sheriff has always claimed that the violence of Boko Haram preceded his administration, what is a fact in October, 2003, part of the Boko Haram members, then known as Taliban, broke away from Muhammad Yusuf claiming that they could no longer live in a place that wasn’t being governed by Sharia law and this was some months after Sheriff took oath of office on May 29, 2003.

    “The breakaway faction called themselves ‘Taliban’ led by someone nicknamed Mullah Umar. They set up a base outside Kanamma, a village in Yobe state, located on the border between Nigeria and Niger Republic. They nicknamed their new base ‘Afghanistan’. They declared the new base a sovereign State under Sharia law.

    “On 5th of July, 2011, former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff tendered an apology to the Boko Haram sect ‘for whatever he might have done wrong to them’. Why did he apologise if he knew he did nothing wrong to the sect,” Lawan asked.

  • Sheriff ready for investigation on Boko Haram

    Sheriff ready for investigation on Boko Haram

    A former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff has offered himself for investigation over his alleged sponsorship of the Boko Haram sect.

    The Borno State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kaka Shehu Lawal, had, at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, accused Sheriff of being a major sponsor of the insurgents.

    But Sheriff, in a reaction by his Media Adviser, Mr. Inuwa Bwala on Thursday, rejected Lawal’s allegation, demanding a retraction and apology from the Borno Attorney General.

    To prove his innocence, Sheriff has called for comprehensive investigation aimed at exposing sponsors of the terror group.

    He said, “We challenge the Federal Government, to as a matter of urgency, investigate, no matter who is involved, and expose those whose antecedents show they have links with Boko Haram.

    “The Borno Attorney General is not a security expert and we have the best security men in the world, and they are in a good position to tell us whether someone is directly or indirectly linked to this Boko Haram.

    “By taking it upon himself to inform the world that this noble man is linked with Boko Haram, I think it is the greatest disservice to the fight against insecurity.

    “I think they are trying to cover up their own culpability in the whole matter. The commissioner is trying to divert attention from the real culprit of Boko Haram.”

     

  • Sheriff rejects judgment sacking him as PDP chair

    Sheriff rejects judgment sacking him as PDP chair

    Disputed National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff has rejected a court judgment sacking him as party chairman.

    A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Kubwa, Abuja, had on Wednesday nullified his hold on the party’s chairmanship and declared his appointment as party chair null and void.

    But in a statement on Thursday, Sheriff said the judgment did not affect him in any way. He however said he had already appealed the judgment and filed for a stay of execution.

    The judgment of the Kubwa court, delivered by Justice Nwamaka Ogbonnaya was an affirmation of an earlier one delivered by Justice Valentine Ashi of another FCT high court on June 29, 2016.

    Justice Ashi had ruled that the purported amendment to Article 47(6) of the PDP Constitution of 2012 at a special National Convention of the party held on Wednesday, 10-11 July, 2014 was unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect.

    Justice Ashi further ruled that the said amendment failed to comply with mandatory due process as provided in Article 66(2) and (3) of the party’s constitution.

    Sheriff became chairman by virtue of the said Article 47(6) which the court nullified.

    The judge had said, “By reason of the above, the purported amendment introduced in article 47 (6) on the aforesaid dates are hereby set aside.

    “All persons or individuals, officers, servants and agents of the PDP parading themselves as national officers of the PDP, purportedly pursuant to the said amendment which has now been nullified are hereby restrained from further parading themselves around in those capacities and claiming the rights and privileges attached or appurtenant thereto”.

    But, Sheriff’s deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh who spoke on behalf of the disputed chairman, said, “When you are too much in a hurry to kill your enemy, sometimes you kill yourself. Some persons went to justice Valentine Ashi and Sheriff was not party to the case. Justice Ashi gave judgement based on what was placed before him.

    “Sheriff was not a party to it and we have appealed it and asked for stay of execution. In that ruling, Justice Ashi annulled the amendment to the 2014 PDP Constitution.”

  • Sheriff: decisions taken by Makarfi, others illegal

    Sheriff: decisions taken by Makarfi, others illegal

    Nactional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff yesterday rejected the decisions taken by the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee at its meeting in Port Harcourt.

    According to him, the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting purportedly convened by the Makarfi group was null and void.

    In a statement by his Media Adviser, Mr. Inuwa Bwala, Sheriff said, “The said meeting breached Section 31(4) of the PDP constitution. The Section provides that it’s only the National Chairman who can convene a NEC meeting after giving two weeks notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “Even in an emergency situation, one week notice must be given to the National Chairman who has the sole responsibility to convene the NEC. It is sad that in the face of obvious disregard to court orders which halted the convention, some individuals are bent on perpetrating impunity by taking steps to install another contraption on the PDP”.

    Sheriff insisted that the rule of law and constitutionality must prevail in all circumstances, saying the decisions taken by the party in Port Harcourt would not be binding on members and cannot stand in law.

  • Abuja court restrains Sheriff from acting as PDP Chairman

    Abuja court restrains Sheriff from acting as PDP Chairman

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Kubwa, Abuja has restrained Ali Modu Sheriff from further parading as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and acting or taking decisions on its behalf.

    Justice Nwamaka Ogbonnaya, in a judgment yesterday, held among others, that by virtue of the June 29, 2016 judgment by Justice Valentine Ashi (of the Apo division of High Court of the FCT), the appointment of Sheriff and other members of his Executive of the party remains voided.

    Justice Ashi had, in the judgment in a suit filed by Joseph Jero, marked: FCT/HC/CV/1867/2016, voided the amendment to Article 47(6) of the PDP constitution, on which basis Sheriff and his Executive emerged at the convention held by the party on December 10 and 11, 2015.

    Justice Ogbonnaya said there was no evidence before her that the judgment by Justice Ashi had been appealed. She said even if appealed, mere filing of an appeal against a judgment cannot act as a stay of the judgmet’s execution.

    She said the judgment by Justice Ashi remained valid until it is set aside by an appellate court, and that parties affected by the judgement and orders made in it are bound by the said orders and and decarations.

    The yesterday’s judgment read by Justice Ogbonnaya for over one hour, starting from 5pm, was on a suit filed on August 9, 2016 by Danladi Ayuba, who claimed to be a PDP member and an aspirant to the post of National Leader of the party at its convention scheduled for Port Harcourt.

    Justice Ogbonnaya, who granted all the reliefs by the plaintiff, and made an order “setting aside and or nullified the act or conduct of the defendant (Sheriff) as National Chairman of the PDP or anything done by him in the name or on behalf of the party for being unlawful, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”

    Justice Ogbonnaya declared among others, that by vistue of the June 29 judgment nullifying the amendment to the PDP’s constitution (on which basis Sheriff became the party’s national Chairman), he “cannot lawfully continue to parade himself as the National Chairman, act or do anything in the name and on behalf of the PDP.”

    Before the judgment, the judge dismissed all applications filed by Sheriff’s lawyer, Ajibola Oluyede.

    Sheriff had argued, in his objection that he was not aware of the case, in which he was the sole defendant, until late Tuesday night when photo copies of the originating processes were brought to his attention.

    He queried the plaintiff’s locus standi, the competence of the suit and the jurisdiction of the court to hear it.

    The judge held that she was convinced that Sheriff was properly served and that he was aware of the hearing slated for August 16, but elected not to attend.

  • How Makarfi beat Sheriff in bid for PDP convention

    How Makarfi beat Sheriff in bid for PDP convention

    •INEC raises monitoring team

    Factional Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Senator Ali Modu Sheriff may have lost his bid to stop the party’s convention billed for Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Wednesday.

    Sources told The Nation yesterday that the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has got the nod of the PDP’s Board of Trustees (BoT) Reconciliation Committee to host the convention.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it was learnt, has raised a team to monitor the convention.

    Makarfi was said to have won the heart of the BoT because his group has gone far with preparations for the convention.

    Sheriff, sources said, had become too adamant for the liking of the BoT, which tried all it could to reconcile him with Makarfi.

    A source said Sheriff and the BoT, which met in Abuja last Wednesday, disagreed on four issues, including the convention’s postponement.

    Sheriff had canvassed for postponement until what he called the “knotty issues” of the party chairman is sorted out.

    He and Ahmed Makarfi are fighting over who leads the party.

    The other issues are the timing for the reconstitution of the National Convention Committee, who will preside over the convention between Sheriff and Makarfi and the number of slots for Sheriff’s camp in a harmonised National Working Committee( NWC).

    The reconciliation panel, headed by Prof. Jerry Gana, has foreclosed any further concession to Sheriff and declared that the convention would go ahead on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.

    According to investigation by our correspondent, the reconciliation talks between the Gana committee and Sheriff’s camp went well until the four “knotty issues” came up.

    A source said: “The talks began well and we were able to agree on the need to hold a National Convention to put the past behind us and reconstitute the National Convention Committee.

    “We even agreed that there will be co-chairmen for the NCC and that Makarfi and Sheriff will coordinate the convention.

    “But Sheriff’s camp said the time was too short for it to nominate members into the convention committee.

    “It demanded that the convention be postponed by one or two weeks to enable the party create a sense of belonging for all groups and tendencies to be able to fully participate.

    “Sheriff’s camp believes that the reconstitution of the convention committee requires throwing nomination for  offices into the NWC open afresh. Also, it said the election of delegates should be revisited.

    “But there was no commitment from the reconciliation committee on how Sheriff’s camp will be accommodated in the new NWC.

    “Sheriff also wanted to know who will preside over the convention between him and Makarfi. He was uncomfortable with the two of them coordinating the convention.”

    Another party source added: “We could not address or find immediate solutions to issues tabled by Sheriff because the party had gone far in planning the National Convention.

    “So, we disagreed on these four key areas. We will go ahead with the National Convention. We have bent backward a lot to accommodate Sheriff.”

    A National Commissioner, who confirmed that INEC would monitor the convention,  said: “We will monitor the PDP convention on Wednesday based on legal advice.”

    When contacted, INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity Wole Uzzi said: “ We have received a letter to monitor the National Convention of PDP.  Except there is a contrary court order, we will monitor the convention in Port Harcourt.”

    Asked whether the letter was from the  Makarfi group or Sheriff, he said: “Based on the law, there is only one PDP known to INEC.”

    He said he had no list of the INEC team going to Port Harcourt.

  • PDP crisis: Sheriff, Makarfi camps yet to agree

    PDP crisis: Sheriff, Makarfi camps yet to agree

    Four days to the August 17 National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the disagreement between the camps of the disputed National Chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, and the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee is yet to be resolved.

    A reconciliation committee set up by the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) has been meeting with key stakeholders with the view to resolving the crisis and ensuring that the convention holds as scheduled.

    The 18-member committee headed by former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana, has met with Sheriff, Makarfi, the party’s governors and its National Assembly leadership.

    The BoT chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone yesterday, said that the BoT was still awaiting the report of the reconciliation committee. “The committee members have been working day and night and they have met with the various stakeholders, including Ali Modu Sheriff. I cannot say much on this matter until I receive the committee’s report,” Jibrin said.

    He was optimistic that the crisis would be resolved very soon and that the convention would hold as scheduled. The BoT chair allayed fears in the Sheriff camp that the party leadership might dump the former Borno State governor after the convention.

    According to him, as a key stakeholder in the PDP, nobody can dump Sheriff for whatever reasons, stressing that Sheriff remained a bonafide member and a member of the BoT.

    Sheriff was on May 21, removed as National Chairman at the party’s botched convention ground in Port Harcourt. The original intention of the conveners of the convention was to instal Sheriff as chairman for the next four years.

    He was replaced with a seven-member caretaker committee headed by Makarfi. The committee was given a mandate to organise a fresh convention to elect a new set of party executives within 90 days. The 90 will elapse on August 20.

    But Sheriff has continued to resist his sudden removal through a series of cases with multiple restraining orders against the caretaker committee. There are palpable fears that he may secure yet another court injunction that may put the convention on hold.

    Sheriff has since ran a parallel administration in the party, insisting that the convention be put on hold and the Makarfi committee disbanded.

    He has also insisted on being given a definite role in the planning of the convention at a yet to be determined date, stressing that the venue of the convention should be moved from Port Harcourt to Abuja.

    Sheriff has also demanded the removal of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, as the chairman of the convention planning committee.

    The ex-Borno governor has similarly demanded that the local government and ward congresses conducted under his watch but which were cancelled by the Makarfi-led caretaker committee be upheld.

    Sheriff, however, listed only five states where the congresses were yet to hold. He listed the states as Oyo, Lagos, Anambra, Kebbi and Sokoto States.

    Addressing a delegation of his supporters from Yobe State in Abuja yesterday, Sheriff sounded denunciatory of the reconciliation committee set up by the party’s BoT.

    Said he: “Members of the BoT are coming to see me. Even last night, they came to meet me at my place and the governors are also meeting with me.

    “But that does not mean that we are going to agree on anything that will affect our integrity, followership and our political interests.

    “As some of you rightly said, some of them were ashamed to identify with the party. Now the PDP has become a strong party, everybody is looking up to PDP and we will not be distracted.

    “This party, as I rightly said, must be returned back to the owners. Anything short of that is a none-starter.

    “What are our problems and how do we improve our standing so that it is not when we want to go for election that we run around to put the house in order? It is now that we should put the party in proper shape ahead of the election”.