ABUJA – Senator Ali Modu Sheriff Tuesday insisted he remains the National Chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
A statement by his media Aide, Inuwa Bwala, dismissed the handing over of the party secretariat to the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee, saying it is null and void.
Prompt News recalls that Modu Sheriif was removed as national chairman of the party at the party’s convention recently in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and a Caretaker Committee appointed.
On Tuesday, the party’s outgone National Executive Committee represented by the former Deputy National Chairman, Uche Secondus and the Board of Trustees chairman, Walid Jibrin, formally handed over the affairs of the party to Ahmed Makarfi at the party’s Wadata House in Abuja.
But, Sheriff kicked, saying he did not mandate Mr. Secondus to hand over the party affairs, insisting that he remains the chairman until the Court decides otherwise.
The statement he issued reads in full:
“Our attention has been drawn to the activities at the National secretariat of the PDP to the effect that some individuals masquerading as leaders have handed over to Ahmed Mohammed Makarki under a contraption called “caretaker committee”.
“We state as a matter of fact that going by proceedings still pending in the courts to the effect that Senator Ali Sheriff remains the National Chairman, whatever transpired was null, void and of no effect whatsoever.
“Sheriff has not mandated anybody, nor was his authority obtained by Uche Secondus, who has been parading himself as acting on behalf of the National Chairman.
“While we await the verdicts of the courts, we wish to state that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is and remains the National Chairman of the party, until otherwise declared by the courts.
“We allowed the charade to go on at the secretariat without any form of challenge in strict obedience to careful pronouncement on the matter, but we must also state that there is no gathering of groups or individuals, however powerful, such groups or individuals may be, that can be said to take precedence over the law.
“For the avoidance of doubts, we state categorically that what took place at the PDP secretariat on Tuesday June 7, 2016 was a total disregard to court orders. And an extension of the impunity for which the party has been accused of and which has taken the party to where it is today.
“The public should disregard all the actions and pronouncements.
