From Taiwo Amodu, Abuja
A suit filed by the factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, to challenge the eligibility of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi caretaker committee suffered a setback at the weekend. Some members of the Sheriff-led national working committee, which was dissolved at the Port Harcourt convention last weekend, told Sunday Sun reporter that the former Borno State governor did not seek their consent before instituting the suit.
In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on behalf of Senator Modu Sheriff by his lawyer, Alex A. Izinyon (SAN), which was yet to be assigned to any judge, the factional chairman sought an ex-parte order to stop Senator Makarfi and his team from parading themselves as the interim leadership of the party, as he claimed that the resolution of the party national convention was an infraction on the PDP Constitution.
The former governor who was actually the sole candidate for the office of chairman at the convention before the governors and delegates settled for a caretaker committee, further claimed that his tenure would end on December 11, 2018 since he replaced a former National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, whose mandate he inherited.
The former Bauchi State governor was elected at a special national convention on December 10th and 11th, 2014. But speaking with Sunday Sun on phone, Uche Secondus and Barrister Victor Kwon, the former deputy national chairman and national legal adviser, respectively, denied knowledge of the suit filed by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. Secondus said: “Eight of us had two days ago, pledged our loyalty to Makarfi and we haven’t changed our stand on that. As a matter of fact, the former National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Mustapha, had even joined us. So, nine of us are behind Makarfi.
“We didn’t ask Sheriff, who is a friend to us, to file any suit on our behalf. We didn’t meet to resolve to go to court or ask anyone to act on our behalf. We are going to write the court to say this. We are not a party to the case.
“Alhaji Sheriff is our friend, we are happy to say that. But we must protect the interest of the party and millions of its members. This is not the time to allow personal ambition to destroy the collective interest and ambition of millions, who look up to the party for salvation.”
Speaking in the same vein, Barrister Kwom said: “We didn’t give our consent to that application to be filed. He didn’t get our authorisation.”
Sunday Sun investigations revealed that nine members of the dissolved PDP NWC had in a communique issued at the end of their meeting last Tuesday in Abuja, resolved to “accept without equivocation all decisions and resolutions of the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party held at Port Harcourt on 21st May 2016” and “ recognize the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party and offer the committee all our support and cooperation.”
Those who signed the communique to accept the Ahmed Makarfi team and cooperate with him include, Uche Secondus, Barristers Onwe Solomon and Victor Kwon, former deputy national chairman, deputy national secretary and national legal adviser. Others were Ambassador Kema Chikwe, Abdullahi Maibasira, Bolaji Anani and Buhari Bala, former national woman leader, national youth leader, national financial secretary and national treasurer, respectively and Chief Olisa Metuh, national publicity secretary.