President holds private meeting with ex-PDP Chairman, Sheriff

President Muhammadu Buhari met with former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),

The private meeting happened just over two weeks after Sheriff defected from the opposition PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Before his defection, Sheriff had reportedly met with President Buhariin company of the PDP's 2015 gubernatorial candidate in Borno state, Gambo Lawan, who also defected. The president reportedly directed the leadership of the APC to accept them into the party.

Sheriff's controversial time with PDP

Sheriff was Borno state governor between 2003 and 2011 under the platform of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) before he defected to the PDP in 2014.

In February 2016, he was installed as the party's National Working Committee (NWC) chairman in an acting capacity until he was removed during the party's 2016 National Convention three months later. Sheriff rejected the convention's decision, declaring that any other chairman was a 'counterfeit'.

In July 2017, a five man panel of the Supreme Court sacked Sheriffand installed Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the acting national chairman of the PDP before Uche Secondus was elected chairman at the party's 2017 convention.