I Remain PDP National Chairman - Ali Modu Sheriff Reacts to Court Ruling Which Sacked Him

Ahmed Markarfi and Ali Modu Sheriff

We reported it here yesterday that a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, on Monday, July 4, 2016, declared Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Justice Mohammed Liman ruled that the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party to have dissolved the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led executive of the party and appointed a Caretaker Committee led by Senator Ahmed Markafi was in order, legal and in line with the provisions of the PDP Constitution.

Just like we all expected, the unperturbed PDP National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, has responded to the court ruling which favoured his removal as the party's chairman, saying he remains in charge until the Court of Appeal’s decision on the position.

Speaking with newsmen late on Monday in Abuja, the embattled PDP chieftain, disclosed that he had instructed his lawyers to appeal the Port Harcourt judgement and to seek a stay-of- execution of the judgment.

“The court where the judge gave judgement in Abuja last week and the Federal High Court in Lagos and today’s court in Port Harcourt are all courts of the same competent jurisdiction.

“Therefore, the orders that we have in Abuja is still subsisting. What it means is that unless a Court of Appeal decides otherwise, I still remain the national chairman of the PDP.

“Courts that are of the same jurisdiction cannot overrule another court unless it is Court of Appeal. We disagree with today’s judgement completely.

“We have asked our lawyers immediately to file an appeal and also ask the same court for stay of execution, because there were three orders before this, which are of the same coordinate jurisdiction.

“Unless and until Court of Appeal, which is a higher court, makes a pronouncement contrary to what we have, I still remain the chairman,’’Sheriff said.

In his reaction, Ahmed Makarfi, Chairman of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, called on Ali Modu Sheriff and his followers to accept the judgement and join the committee in moving the party forward.

“I am indeed happy with the judgement on the one hand but also sad that it had to come to this. For me, there should be no winner or loser in this matter.

“I am still calling on Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff and his followers to join us so that we accommodate one another and indeed all other groups in a just, fair and equitable manner," Makarfi said.