The Supreme Court of Nigeria, in a landmark judgement on Wednesday declared Ahmed Markafi led PDP faction authentic National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, thereby bringing to an a protracted battle for the soul of the party.
The court made sure this was the case by restricting Senator Ali Modu Sheriff from further parading himself as the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, who read the judgment on Wednesday on behalf of the five-man panel of judges, set aside the ruling of the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt that affirmed Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the Chairman of the party.
According to Court, the National Convention of the party held on May 21, 2016 in Port Harcourt was right to have removed Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the Chairman of the party being the highest decision-making organ of the party. The court ruled that Senator Sheriff was wrong to have called for the suspension of the convention having submitted himself as an aspirant to contest for the National Chairman of the party. The court held further that Sheriff decision to suspend the National Convention was predicated on his disqualification by the screening committee set up to screen all the aspirants seeking the chairmanship of the party.
The judgment has put to rest the protracted leadership tussle rocking the party since the former chairman Adamu Muazu left the party in an abrupt manner when pressure was mounted on him by the stakeholders of the party after losing the 2015 Presidential election.
Expectrdly, a wide jubilation ensued at the court by PDP leaders and supporters of the Makarfi led faction who were present in court immedy after the judgement that has in attendance PDP faithful including governors Nyesome Wike of Rivers and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti as well as former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau. Other PDP bigwigs include Ahmed Markafi, Senator Ben Obi, Bode George, Dayo Adeyeye, Jerry Gana, and a former deputy speaker House of Representatives. However, Sheriff was absent during the judgement.
