PDP asks Sheriff to vacate secretariat

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked Ali Modu Sheriff, its former national chairman, to immediately vacate its headquarters in Abuja.

The party gave the directive following an order of the federal high court in Port Harcourt to that effect.

“The federal high court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers state on Thursday, June 6, 2016 heard the case between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff  & co on suit No:  FHC/PH/CS/524/2016 restraining Senator Sheriff and his co-defendants from parading themselves as national officers of the party and to recognise the national caretaker committee as constituted by the national convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, and an order of a court in Lagos restraining the PDP national convention from conducting elections into the offices of the national chairman, national secretary and national auditor,” it said in a statement issued by Chinwe Nnorom, PDP head of publicity, on Thursday.

“The court after hearing the matter before it, declared that both the ex-parte order restraining Senator Sheriff and his co-defendants from parading themselves as national chairman, national secretary, national auditor and other former national officers of the party which also recognises the national caretaker committee, and the Lagos order restraining PDP from conducting elections into those three offices subsist. The court further adjourned the case till Monday, the 4th of July 2016 for judgment.”

The party also said that it had filed a contempt suit against Sheriff for disobeying a previous order of the court.

“In another development, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has filed a case in the federal high court against Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and his co defendants for contempt proceedings,” it said.

“The case was filed  accusing Senator Sheriff and co for misinforming party members, supporters and the general public that the ex-parte order suit No: FHC/PH/CS/524/2016 dated 23rd of May, 2016 expired after 14 days, while he is very much aware that the order subsists pending its final determination.

“The party relying on the declaration of the federal high court in Port Harcourt, Rivers state further assert that the violent invasion of the national secretariat of the PDP on Monday, June 13, 2016 is illegal, null and void.

“The party therefore demands that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and co should vacate the secretariat  immediately following the court declaration.”