Ali Modu Sheriff declares Edo primaries illegal

The immediate past chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ali Modu Sheriff has declared Monday’s Governorship Primaries in Edo state as illegal.

This was contained in a letter addressed to the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and signed by Sheriff and National Secretary, Prof Wale Oladipo on Tuesday, June 21, 2016.

Sheriff described the primaries as "a contraption of an illegal care-taker committee" and urged members nationwide especially in Edo State to disregard it.

He urged INEC not to give legitimacy to what happened in Edo and said that the party is going to conduct a proper primary in the state.

Osagie Ize-Iyamuemerged winner of the primary elections on Monday, June 20, 2016.

Also in another statement, the party released a scheduled congress in Edo state to start from June 23rd-June 29th with the inauguration of Congress Committee scheduled for Thursday, June 23, 2016.

Sheriff warned state Chairmen and officers of the party to desist meeting or having anything with the illegal Caretaker committee and warned that anybody dealing with them is on his own.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Makarfi committee, Dayo Adeyeye, said Sheriff was being sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC,) to scuttle PDP’s chance in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo state and also destabilise the party.

In a swift reaction, Sheriff denied the allegation adding that members of the party begged him to be the PDP Chairman.