Nearly two weeks after the botched Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  national convention in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, embattled factional  chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has formally explained why he took a last minute decision to call off the event.
Sheriff said he only acted in deference to a  court order that elections should not be conducted into three offices of the party, namely; national chairman, national secretary and national auditor.
Sheriff said if he had not acted swiftly to suspend the convention, it would have been an outright disregard for the judiciary. He referred to an earlier letter addressed to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) wherein the party was advised to obey a Lagos Federal High Court injunction.
In the letter, dated May 16, 2016 and addressed to Sheriff as national chairman of the party, INEC warned that it would not monitor elections into the three seats under contention, pending the determination of the case by the court. Subsequently, Sheriff, on May 20, 2016, replied INEC and announced the suspension of the convention in line with the court order.
Part of the letter reads: “Consequently, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party decided to abide by these court pronouncements and postpone the said convention. Your letter dated  May 16, 2016, informing the party that INEC would not monitor elections into the offices of the national chairman, national secretary and national auditor during our planned national conference refers.
“You also informed us that any officers elected into those offices would not be accorded any recognition by your commission. This is in compliance with the court order of the Federal High Court on the tenure of the incumbents of these offices.
“The party also received the judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, upholding the tenure of 18 national officers of the party till 2017 and 2018.
“Therefore, incumbent national officers elected during the 2013 and 2014 special national conventions remain in office till 2017 and 2018 respectively.”  The former Borno State governor clarified  that his target and vision for the opposition party is to rebuild it and explained  that he has no inordinate ambition as being peddled by some aggrieved elements in the party.
Further explaining his dream for the PDP, he declared that his plans remain to position the party on a good pedestal  where it can successfully wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019.  In line with this objective, Sheriff said plans were already in place to begin  nationwide consultation that will bring every aggrieved member together.
PDP governors and other party stakeholders, had, on May 21, in Port-Harcourt, removed the NWC of the party and in its place, appointed a former governor of Kaduna State and former lawmaker, Senator Ahmed Makarfi. While the convention was ongoing in Port-Harcourt, a parallel convention was held in Abuja. The parallel convention was spearheaded by former minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana. Sheriff’s leadership has filed a suit challenging the move.