Sacked PDP Chairman Ali Modu Sheriff Opens Up On His Next Move

Sacked national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has reacted to the Supreme Court judgement. 

The former Borno State governor was on Wednesday booted out of office by the apex court following a prolonged leadership tussle in the party.

Many prominent members of the main opposition party have reacted to the judgement, describing it as victory for democracy and Nigerians.

Also following the ruling, the party has rekindled its hope to reclaim power from the All Progressives Congress come 2019.

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike had immediately after the court verdict said Sheriff would obey the court order and still be part of the party.

In line with that, Sheriff, via his twitter handle, @senAliSheriff, wrote, “The Supreme Court has spoken, I congratulate Senator Makarfi.

“We must all put our hands together to channel a new course for PDP.

“This is the time to build the PDP and focus on the future, which includes reclaiming power from APC.”

By John Owen Nwachukwu

Supreme Court Saved Us From One Party System - Ozekhome

Constitutional lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) has described the the judgement of the Supreme Court, which resolved the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership crisis as divine.

According to him, the verdict saved Nigeria from a one-party state.

DAILY POST reports that in a landmark judgement delivered on Wednesday, the apex court held that Senator Ahmed Markafi remains the authentic National Chairman of PDP.

The Supreme Court subsequently ordered Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to vacate the National Secretariat of the party with immediate effect.

Reacting to the verdict, Ozekhome said the decision saved PDP from self-destruct and internally-generated volcanic eruption.

“It saved Nigeria’s destructive and annihilating slide into an autocratic and despotic one-party state where absolutism and lack of opposition were already rearing their monstrous visages,” he said.

“Once again, the judiciary, the whipping ‘boy’ of our democracy, has risen to the challenge of saving Nigeria’s wobbling and imperilled democracy.

“A virile opposition constitutes the heart and soul of democracy. The alternative is dictatorship. God bless Nigeria,” he added.

By Ameh Comrade Godwin

Supreme Court PDP Judgement: Jonathan Calls For Unity

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has reacted to the Supreme Court ruling which affirmed ex-Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi as the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

In a congratulatory message on his Facebook page, the former President said though “we have issues with some individuals” the Supreme Court ruling signifies “no winners no vanquish.”

Jonathan told Makarfi to run an all-inclusive policy, urging those who decamped to other parties due to the leadership crisis to return.

He said, “I congratulate my political party, the Peoples Democratic Party, on the successful resolution of its leadership crisis by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“I believe in our jurists. We may have issues with some individuals but the Nigerian judiciary deserves our respect and commendation. They have served this country well.

“Today’s verdict is a judgment where there are no winners or losers. It is a verdict that will bring our party together. We should all thank the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“As I congratulate the Ahmed Makarfi led Caretaker Committee, I want to strongly urge them not to see this as a victory of a section of the party, but as a moral victory of constitutionality over arbitrariness.

“Thus, they must take inspiration from General Yakubu Gowon and declare a ‘no victor and no vanquished policy’.

“As a senior member of the party, I hereby call on all those who left the party because of its leadership issues to return to their natural home and build the PDP.

“The PDP is an inclusive vehicle not an exclusive one. We see Nigerians as human beings deserving of the rule of law, separation of powers and a free market economy that provides a level playing ground for all.

“The party that gave Nigeria the largest economy in Africa is a party whose heart is large enough to find a place for all Nigerians.

“I thank God for this day of Justice and may God bless Nigeria. GEJ.”

By Seun Opejobi

Supreme Court Explains Why Sheriff Was Sacked As PDP Chairman

The Supreme Court has explained why it affirmed former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi as the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Recall that the apex court had on Wednesday sacked the National Chairman of the PDP, Ali Modu Sheriff while affirming Makarfi as the new leader of the party.

A three-member panel of the court presided by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, sacked Sheriff, for demonstrating , “infantile desperation to lead the party.”

A member of the three-member panel, Rhodes Vivour, while reading out the judgment said Sheriff was not within the category of an “unimpeachable leader,” adding that his removal of the former governor was not necessarily expected to follow a vote of no confidence.

Vivour said there was no clause in the constitution of the party that made it mandatory for the former Borno State governor to be removed using a vote of no confidence.

The judge said, “He demonstrated an infantile desperation to lead the PDP by filing almost 10 different applications in various courts. They shall forever gather dust in judicial archives.”

Vivour cited relevant sections of the party’s constitution which made it imperative for members of the party to respect the proceedings of the PDP national convention.

He said, “The subject matter in the issue is Article 33; 35 and 47.

“There shall be a national convention. All members of the party shall be bound by the decisions of leaders from the National convention. Article 33 states the supremacy of the National convention.”

He said PDP constitution allows the deputy national leader of the party to stand in for his principal, adding that, “when Sheriff abandoned the national convention in May 2016, the party asked his deputy to stand in for him, making his attendance noted at the convention.”

Vivour held that although PDP’s constitution allows the party to remove the National leader after two years through a vote of no confidence, the word used to denote Vote of no confidence was ‘may’, which does not indicate compulsory adherence.

“May is not the same thing as shall,” therefore “a national officer could be removed without a vote of no confidence.

“There can be no doubt that the National convention has enormous powers over the party,” Vivour said.

By Ali Adoyi

Supreme Court PDP Judgement: Wike Opens Up On Sheriff's Fate

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has disclosed that sacked National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ali Modu Sheriff will remain in the party irrespective of Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling.

Wike claimed that the former Borno State governor “called him last week,” to assure him that he will “respect whatever decision reached by the Supreme Court.”

The Rivers State governor made the disclosure while reacting to the Supreme Court ruling which affirmed Ahmed Makarfi as the leader of the party.

Wike declared that the judgment of the Supreme Court affirming Makarfi as PDP leader is a “victory for democracy” as the nation will now have a viable opposition.

In a statement sent to DAILY POST by his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, Wike urged Sheriff to keep to his word and work with other stakeholders in the interest of the party.

He noted that the PDP will emerge from the crisis stronger because all stakeholders will work hard to rebuild the party.

According to Wike, “This judgment shows that there will be opposition in Nigeria.

“I am very happy. Rivers people are very happy because we have no other party aside the PDP”.

“I urge them to keep their word. All of us will work together to re-position the party. The party will go back to the drawing board to move ahead.

“I don’t see any reason why Sheriff will not be a part of the party. He spoke to me last week that whatever the situation he will remain in the party”.

He urged the Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee to meet with all stakeholders to plan the time-table for the party’s national convention.

By Seun Opejobi

Supreme Court PDP Judgement: No Victor, No Vanquished - DSP Ekweremadu

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, says the Supreme Court judgment on the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leadership crisis, ushers in a new dawn of peace, reconciliation, and recovery for the party.

Reacting to the apex court’s verdict on Wednesday, Ekweremadu said it was a no victor and no vanquished situation for individual party members, but rather a collective victory for the entire party faithful and the nation’s democracy.

He said: “I am happy that the Supreme Court has brought this protracted leadership tussle to an end today. There is no victor and there is no vanquished, but a collective victory for our party and the nation’s democracy. No democracy can prosper in the absence of a virile opposition or under the extreme hardship Nigerians have faced over the past two years. Citizens deserve a viable alternative. 

“The ruling party has indeed profited from the prolonged power contest, not just in terms of defections, but also in the unchallenged degeneration of democratic values, rule of law, electoral practice, and the economy because the PDP has been too distracted to keep them on their toes.

“But, it is heartwarming that calm is returning after the storm. I salute millions of our party faithful and Nigerians who stood firm to weather the storm for their courage and loyalty, and sincerely appeal to those who left for one reason or the other to return to our big political family.

“Importantly, I call on our party leadership and elders to immediately initiate an all-inclusive peace, reconciliation, and rebuilding process to reunite everybody under the big umbrella and reinvigorate the biggest party in Africa to bounce back to the rescue of the suffering masses of Nigeria come 2019”.

By Yemi Itodo