The Abuja national secretariat of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has been sealed off again by security operatives following failed attempt by the disgruntled former interim national chairman of the party, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff to take over leadership of the party on Monday morning.
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The former Borno governor was the party’s chairman before the party’s national convention held in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, on May 21.
Despite his announcement, some leaders of the party went ahead with the exercise, setting up a caretaker committee led by Ahmed Makarfi.
Said he: “After due consultations with serious-minded stakeholders of the party and my lawyers, against the background that I have remained committed to lawful procedures, I have come, fully armed with all the necessary court orders, to resume as national chairman, as directed by a court of competent jurisdiction”.
After his removal, the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, said that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP, which Senator Sheriff led, was dissolved to save the party.
PDP Confirms Modu Sheriff’s Removal At Saturday’s ConventionAli Modu-Sheriff, and his supporters, early on Monday, stormed the Wadata Plaza National Secretariat to take over the party affairs. Nigeria No. 1 Online Portal.
“Even the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, wrote me a letter that they will not conduct any election into the office of the National Chairman, National Auditor and National Secretary of the party”. If Makarfi wants to lead, he should wait for the National Convention and if selected by the party, then he can take over.
He also said, “The only people that would be screened are those who show evidence of payment of N10m and this should be showed to the chairman of the screening committee. As a party, we have agreed that our form is N10m and payment should be made to the party’s account”.
He said he had watched events as they unfolded after the Port Harcourt convention, which he recalled that he suspended in obedience to a court order. “We will remain in office until 2018 unless the court says otherwise”. “We are selling it for N10 million”, Sheriff said.
He also announced a reduction in the price for nomination forms from N16m to N10m which he said was payable only to the party’s national account.
He added that with a valid court order which his principal possesses he has the authority to assume office. “We will take this matter beyond the Nigeria Police; the law will take its course in this matter”, he asserted.
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He described the caretaker committee as illegal, null and void. Makarfi, while reacting to the development said he would speak on it today.
