PDP crisis worsens as courts sack Sheriff, Makarfi

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is far from over as a federal high court in Lagos has declared the Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee illegal.

The ruling came after a federal high court in Port Harcourt barred Ali Modu Sheriff from parading himself as chairman of the party.

Delivering judgement on Tuesday, Ibrahim Buba, the presiding judge, ordered the inspector-general of police to prevent members of the caretaker committee from taking over the affairs of the party.

“The decisions of the Federal High Court, a High Court and of all other courts established by this Constitution shall be enforced in any part of the federation by all authorities,” he held.

“Therefore, the Inspector-General of Police is directed to enforce the orders of this court until the order is set aside or all the applications before the court are disposed of.

“Because of the nature of this matter being political, time is hereby abridged for the hearing of all applications.”

The judge warned the Makarfi-led committee “not to act in that capacity in defiance of this order” .

Before the ruling, there was mild drama as two lawyers, Ahmed Raji (SAN) and Godswill Morakpor, were locked in a heated argument over who, between them, was authorised to represent PDP. Both announced appearance for the PDP.

The caretaker committee was inaugurated on Saturday at the party’s convention in Port Harcourt.

The party’s national working committee (NWC) and the national executive council (NEC) were also dissolved, while the caretaker committee was asked to conduct election for new officials within 90 days.

Sheriff had fallen out with governors after discovering that they were not in support of his bid to remain in office till 2018.

He announced the suspension of the convention and withdrew from the event, but Uche Secondus, deputy national chairman of the party, stepped in and declared the convention open.

The Port Harcourt court also barred Adewale Oladipo from parading himself as national secretary of the party, and restrained INEC from recognising Sherrif and Oladipo or any or all members of the dissolved NWC pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The court also mandated INEC to recognise the Makarfi committee in all matters pertaining the conduct of primary elections for political offices and the submission of the PDP list of candidates for any elections to be conducted by INEC pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

Currently, the PDP has three factions – one led by Ibrahim Mantu and Jerry Gana, another by Sheriff and the other by Makarfi.

The Makarfi faction appears being the strongest, as all serving governors, senators and many elected officials of the party are there.

The crisis in the party has made the police seal its national secretariat in Abuja.