Court sides with Sheriff, stops PDP convention

A federal high court in Abuja has granted the application filed by the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to stop the convention scheduled to be organised on August 19 by the Ahmed Makarfi caretaker committee.

The plaintiffs are Sheriff; Wale Oladapo, national secretary; Dennis Alonge-Niyi, deputy national youth leader; Bashir Maidugu, deputy national legal adviser; Hanatu Ulam, deputy national women leader; Lawal Dutsima, Anchi deputy national auditor; Okey Nnadozie, deputy national organising secretary and Olisa Metuh, national publicity secretary.

Ferdinand Obi, counsel to the Ahmed Makarfi faction of party, challenged the court that it did not have jurisdiction to hear the motion seeking to stop the convention from holding. He further sought to disqualify Okon Abang, the judge.

He argued that Bashir Maidugu, the erstwhile deputy national legal adviser of the PDP, could not be plaintiff and a second defendant in the same suit.

Obi also told  the court that a federal high court in Port Harcourt recognises him as the counsel representing the PDP.

He urged the court to recognise his appearance for the PDP based on a judgement by a high court in Port Harcourt.

In opposition to Obi’s submission, Akintola counsel to the Ali Modu Sheriff faction referred the court to a ruling of June 30, which recognised him as the lawyer representing the PDP.

“In one breath, he wants your lordship disqualified from the proceedings and in another breath he is challenging the jurisdiction,” he said.

According to him, the motion to disqualify the judge did not exist as they have only been served with the application to disqualify the court.

Falokun, counsel to the plaintiffs explained that the judgement from the Port Harcourt cannot override a judgement that has already recognised him as the representative of the PDP.

In his ruling, Abang held that the caretaker committee was “illegal” based on the the Ikeja division of the federal high court and cannot take decisions on behalf of the PDP.

While dismissing Ferdinand’s applications, he said the counsel to Makarfi would not recognised as a representation of the PDP.