The Administrative Head of Publicity Division of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Chinwe Nnorom, has said the Supreme Court will on Thursday in Abuja hear the appeal filed by the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the party challenging a recent judgement of the Court of Appeal, which restored the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff leadership of the party.
She also disclosed in a statement issued at the weekend that the Makarfi-led group will be arguing its case for accelerated hearing in view of the forthcoming governorship elections in Anambra and Ekiti States.
However, DAILY POST learnt that the Ali Modu Sheriff-led National Executive Council (NEC) of the party has also asked its legal team to oppose the plea for accelerated hearing on the grounds that there was nothing urgent to warrant such a request since there was an existing party leadership in place.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the National Caretaker Committee of the party, Dayo Adeyeye, has disclosed that his committee has vowed to take further steps to challenge Sheriff’s actions which it claimed were in clear violation of the judgement of the Court of Appeal that ordered reversal to status quo ante.
In a separate statement signed and issued by him, Adeyeye described as an illegal assembly, the meeting of state chairmen held in Abuja on Friday night with Sheriff, adding that all those who attended the meeting which declared support for Sheriff were nothing but fake state chairmen.
He also said that part of the actions being contemplated to prevent Sheriff’s leadership from moving on with their convention plan is to secure a court injunction based on alleged impunity and infractions he had committed.
Adeyeye further accused Sheriff and his men of causing more problems for the party by going round the states, disorganising the party at state levels and giving recognition to illegal persons as state chairmen.
He said since the Appeal Court Judgement of Port Harcourt Division pronounced the May 21 Convention illegal, Sheriff has made a number of illegal appointments including that of the Deputy National Chairman and National Publicity Secretary.
The statement reads: “The attention of the National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to another illegality perpetrated by dissidents within our Party through the alleged endorsement of the report of the Governor Seriake Dickson’s led Reconciliation Committee of the PDP at an assembly of 23 men purporting to be different state chairmen of our Party.
“At the illegal assembly held in Abuja on Friday night, the group of fake state chairmen also announced their support for the illegal occupation of the Party Secretariat by Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff under the pretext of being PDP National Chairman.
“We wish to state without ambiguity that the action of these elements is a ruse, lies from the pit of hell and a mere continuation of the impunity of Senator Sheriff and his dissident backers within the Party.
“For the records, we wish to make it abundantly clear that many of those men are not elected state chairmen of our Party, not at any time, even when Senator Sheriff was the recognised Chairman of the Party. Many of those who attended the meeting and their sponsors are double dealers and in politics such as we play in Nigeria it is not uncommon to find those who will run with the hare and at the same time hunt with the fox.
“Nigerians should also be aware that since the Appeal Court Judgement of Port Harcourt Division pronounced the May 21 Convention in same city illegal, Senator Sherrif and his men have been making frantic efforts at causing more problems for the Party by going round the states, disorganising the Party at state levels by giving recognition to illegal persons as State Chairmen.
“Not minding the fact that the Judgement of the Appeal Court has been challenged at the Supreme Court, we wish to further state clearly that Senator Sheriff’s actions are in clear violation of the Judgement of the Court of Appeal which ordered reversal to status quo ante May 21.
“It should be noted, however, that parading himself as National Chairman with illegal State Executive Committees by Senator Sheriff will surely further aggravate the situation. The continued parade of Dr. Cairo Ojougboh as Deputy National Chairman and Hon Bernard Mikko as Acting National Publicity Secretary of the PDP are acts of impunity and will be challenged in court,
“This committee will like to appeal to all party faithful to remain calm and committed to the cause of the party while the matters before the Supreme Court are carefully and meticulously sorted out in the interest of the party,” he said.
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