Abuja Court Reaffirms Sheriff’s Sack As PDP Chairman

The immediate past chairman of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ali Modu Sheriff, at the PDP headquarters.

A Federal High Court sitting at the Federal capital territory, Abuja on Wednesday, re-affirmed the sack of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The court held that the all actions taken by Sen Sherif are null, void and of no effect, thereby restraining Mr. Sheriff from further parading himself as the National Chairman of the PDP.

Justice Nwamaka Ogbonnaya, who presided over the case, reaffirmed the sack on the ground that the judgment of Justice Valentine Ashi, which nullified Sheriff’s appointment on June 29 has not been set aside or vacated and is therefore subsisting.

Recall that Justice Ashi had in his judgment nullified the 2014 PDP Constitution amendment upon which Senator Sheriff is said to have been appointed as the party’s Chairman, describing the amendment of the party’s constitution as illegal and a violation of the Electoral Act and, therefore, declared all actions carried out with the document including anybody parading himself or herself as officer of the party as illegal.

It would also be recalled that since Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee came into power after the controversial Port Harcourt National Convention, the leadership of the PDP has been faced with series of court orders, a situation which also affected their repeat convention in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital on August 17.

Meanwhile, Senator Sheriff had challenged the legality of the Caretaker Committee, insisting he is the rightful leader of the party.

However, the court voided the said amendment on the basis that there was no compliance with mandatory provisions of Article 66 (2) and (3) of the PDP constitution.

“By reason of the above, the purported amendments introduced to the constitution on the aforesaid dates, are hereby set aside.

“All persons, individuals, servants or agents of PDP 8parading themselves as national officers of the PDP pursuant to the purported amendment which has now been nullified are hereby restrained from further parading themselves in these capacities “, Justice Ashi said.