Factional National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff has written the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking to stop the party’s national convention, scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt on August 17.
Sheriff asked the commission to ignore a letter sent to it by Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee Senator Ahmed Makarfi, notifying INEC of the proposed convention.
The August 2 letter, signed by Sheriff and faction National Secretary Wale Oladipo, said the Caretaker Committee is illegal and has no powers under the PDP constitution to convene the convention.
It reads: “Kindly refer to a letter dated July 20, 2016, by the illegal PDP Caretaker Committee purported to notify INEC of proposed ward congresses to nominate three Ad-hoc delegates on August 10, 2016, and LGA congresses to nominate national delegates on August 12, 2016, for a repeat national convention, and a repeat national convention slated for August 17, 2016.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the only body that can call for and ratify activities culminating to a national convention of PDP, is the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), headed by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, as national chairman.
“The Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led PDP is not planning any National Convention, as he has not been so authorised by the National Executive Committee of the PDP.
“Any person or group of persons planning for an event is doing so as an illegal body and in direct contempt of valid court orders. This letter is to put you on notice to ignore any such notifications by the illegal Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee”.
Makarfi, has, however, faulted Sheriff’s position.
The Makarfi committee accused Sheriff and his group of attempts to scuttle the planned convention and also to destroy the party as well.
The reaction, contained in a statement by the spokesperson of the caretaker committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, stated that the ruling by Justice Okon Abang which Sheriff relied on, was a mere narrative of the case pending before the Federal High Courts in the Lagos and Port Harcourt Divisions.
Adeyeye said:“It (ruling) did not set aside or nullify the judgment of Justice Liman which has authenticated the May 21 National Convention and the resolutions emanating therefrom.
“The said ruling did not anywhere direct INEC to do anything or not to do anything, to discharge or not to discharge any obligation; to perform any function or not to perform any function.
“In essence, it is a mere legal tale and the Order having been made without any application before him by either of the parties has no foundation in law”.
