Supreme Court sacks Sheriff, declares ex-gov authentic PDP Chairman

dimeji akinloye

July 12, 2017 10:24 AM

The Supreme Court sacked Ali Modu Sheriff who was previously pronounced the authentic national chairman of the party by the Court of Appeal in Rivers State.

The Chairman of the PDP caretaker committee - Ahmed Makarfi

The Supreme Court has declared Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, July 12, the apex court sacked Ali Modu Sheriff who was previously pronounced the authentic chairman of the party by an Appeal court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The Makarfi-led caretaker committee took the matter to the Supreme Court, and got the final nod to assume leadership of the party.

Makarfi and Sheriff have been involved in a tussle for the leadership position of the opposition party.

The party's leadership crisis deepened when Sheriff was removed at the party's May 21, 2016 convention, and a national caretaker committee chaired by Makarfi was appointed.

Many members of the PDP including former governors and current lawmakers have always backed the Makarfi faction even after the appeal court judgment that authenticated Sheriff's leadership.

ALSO READ: Ali Modu Sheriff walks out on Jonathan, others at PDP stakeholders' meeting

The years-long leadership tussle has made some key members of the party decamp to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while others, including Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State vowed to dump the PDP if Sheriff wins at the Supreme Court.

dimeji akinloye