Sheriff ‘Retakes’ PDP Headquarters

There was drama at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, yesterday, when the embattled chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, reappeared and vowed to remain in power until 2018. He also described the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee of the party as not only illegal but null and void. When contacted on phone, Makarfi, who is the former governor of Kaduna State, said he would respond to the new development tomorrow.

Earlier in the morning, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), denied Sheriff access to the secretariat, by barricading the main entrance. Sheriff, who went to the secretariat around 7:32am, alongside his escorts and supporters, made series of entreaties, but was rebuffed, a development that prompted him to leave the place around 9:37am. The embattled chairman, however, returned to the secretariat around 12noon. He was accompanied by over one hundred youths, who besieged the place with ‎banners and placards, showing different inscriptions, such as “Ali Modu Sheriff carry go”, “You are in charge‎”, “It’s Sheriff we want,” etc. He was once again denied entry. Thereafter, Sheriff left the secretariat by 12:26pm to the PDP Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja, and then returned to the Wadata Plaza national secretariat by 1:24pm, and he was allowed entry. He then went straight to the office of the national chairman and moments later addressed the press. In his address, Sheriff, who hit hard at his opponents, said he remained the authentic national chairman of the party till 2018, adding that as far as the law was concerned, the Makarfi-led committee was illegal and could not stand. He said right from the onset, PDP leaders, including the National Working Committee (NWC), Board of Trustees (BoT), National Executive Committee (NEC), PDP Governors’ Forum (PDPGF) and the National Assembly Caucus all begged him to be the chairman of the party against his wish. Sheriff said with that in view, there was no way he could allow his reputation to be ridiculed by his opponents within the party. On whether the various organs of the party were still with him, Sheriff said: “as I am talking to you now, Senator Walid Jibrin called me twice.”‎ Jibrin is chairman of the PDP BoT. Sheriff said: “After due consultations with serious minded stakeholders of the party and my lawyers, against the background that I remained committed to lawful procedures, I have come, fully armed, with all the necessary court orders, to resume as the national chairman (of the party), as directed by a court of competent jurisdiction. “You are all witnesses to the effect that, while the court procedures are still going on, a lot of illegalities, in clear defiance of the law, have been taking place in the party, under the guise of a contraption called caretaker committee. “I had hoped that, for once, the PDP, which has been accused of promoting impunity and declining lawful orders, will purge itself, which informed my decision to obey the courts. “I therefore call on everyone to shun all acts that will tend to portray the party as being lawless. We must learn to obey our own laws first, before we can hope to provide the desired leadership. Against this background, I hereby declare as null, void, and of no consequence whatsoever, any action taken by any person or group of persons, except by my leadership, which is recognised by the law. ‎”I remain the ‎authentic chairman of the PDP, unless if the court makes a pronouncement that Ali Sheriff is not chairman. From now to 2018, Ali Modu Sheriff remains the authentic chairman of the PDP. “If Makarfi wants to be chairman, let him wait and contest at the convention. Ali Sheriff never wanted to be chairman, they begged me to be chairman. ‎ “The IG has directed that the police should open the gate and my office for me. Here is the PDP national secretary, sitting by my side. He is the head of the secretariat,” he said. Sheriff said his immediate task is to see that the party wins the Edo governorship election and called on aspirants to buy their forms at the cost of N10 million. Sheriff was in company of some prominent party leaders, including the embattled national secretary of the party, Professor Wale Oladipo and the national auditor, Adeyanju Adewole, who were purportedly sacked at the Port Harcourt convention. Also with Sheriff was Barr Ahmed Gulak, a former special adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. Sheriff emerged as chairman of the PDP, in February, to complete the tenure of Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, who resigned shortly after the defeat of the party in 2015. His emergence was ratified by the NEC, with an agreement that he will pilot the affairs of the party for three months, ‎within which to conduct a national convention. However, Sheriff was sacked during the May 21 convention in Port Harcourt though the process was asked to be halted by a Federal High Court, in Lagos, which later declared the convention a nullity. A senior official of the party told our correspondent that the PDP got to where it is today because of impunity. “Two courts in Lagos and Abuja said the convention in Port Harcourt should not hold…It’s sad that the PDP governors went ahead with the process, simply because they have issues with Sheriff. Now, the court in Lagos said Sheriff is the chairman. I think the Makarfi group would have to go for appeal in order to derive legitimacy,” he said.