Sheriff’s Sack, Good Riddance’

   
The National Caretaker
Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed satisfaction with yesterday’s judgment of an Abuja High Court which sacked Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as National Chairman.

The committee advised Sheriff to retrace his steps and join hands with others to move the party forward.
But the Sheriff camp said the court did not sack the embattled chairman and that the judgment of was being misinterpreted.
The court, presided over by Justice Valentine Ashi, nullified the 2014 PDP constitution amendment upon which Sheriff was appointed PDP chairman.

The court described the purported amendment as illegal and a violation of the Electoral Act.
Secretary of the Ahmed Makarfi -led caretaker committee, Senator Ben Obi, described the judgment as a welcome development.
“We expect more positive court rulings in the days ahead in favour of our party. It is time for them to face the truth and retrace their steps,” he said.

He called on Sheriff and his supporters to stop their hard line posture and cooperate with the caretaker committee to move the party forward.
“We believe that truth must be upheld; we want all hands to be on deck to chart the way forward”, Obi added.

Repudiating the judgment, the National Secretary of the Sheriff faction, Prof. Adewale Oladipo, said in a statement yesterday: “This is completely false and a clear misrepresentation of the ruling of the court as it never gave any ruling ousting the national chairman.

“Our attention has been drawn to reports circulating in the media that a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has ousted the National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali-Modu Sheriff.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the court only heard and delivered judgment on a matter concerning certain amendments in the PDP constitution, which has nothing to do with the election of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the national chairman or even that of his predecessor, Alhaji Adamu Muazu.

“Senator Ali Modu Sheriff was duly elected as the national chairman of the PDP. He still holds office as the national chairman and has not been removed by any court.

“We therefore urge those misleading the media and the unsuspecting public to desist from such. The media is also urged to always cross-check their facts before going to press.”