The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, shocked the Senator Ali Modu led Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), and declared Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic and only recognised national chairman of the party.
The contest was between Ali Sheriff, who was purportedly removed from office as the party’s national chairman at the party’s May 21, 2016 convention, and the national caretaker committee chaired by Ahmed Makarfi.
The apex court, in an unanimous decision by a five-man panel of Justices, handed leadership of the party to the Senator Ahmed Markafi-led National Working Committee, NWC, of the party.
Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour who read the lead verdict validate the National Convention PDP held in Port Harcourt on May 21, 2016, where the Sheriff led National Executive Committee, NEC, was dissolved.
He said the convention was not conducted in disobedience to any court order. The apex court accused Sheriff of engaging in forum shopping, saying he “displayed infantile desperation to cling to office at all cost”.
Consequently, it awarded a cost of N200, 000 each, against Sheriff and Prof. Wale Oladipo who acted as National Secretary of the party under him. Judgement of the apex court brought to an end a protracted leadership crisis that rocked the former ruling party.
