An Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt has declared Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The Court in a split judgment nullified the May 21, 2016 National Convention of the PDP, which dissolved the Sheriff-led executive of the party and elected a national caretaker committee led by the former governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.
The ruling came in a split decision, where two judges, Justice B. G. Sanga and Justice A.A. Gumel delivered judgement against the Ahmed Makarfi-led PDP while the third judge, Justice T.S Orji-Abadua, ruled against Sheriff.
Justice Sanga, who gave the lead judgement, said the party did not comply with its constitution in removing the Sheriff-led executive.
Sanga maintained that a vote of confidence might be moved on any officer, but a two-month notice should be provided to the secretariat of the party, which would in turn circulate it to all members of the party.
He submitted that the PDP did not comply with the provisions of Article 47(3) of its constitution in the removal of the Sherriff-led working committee, maintaining that the national working committee was not put on notice.
“A vote of confidence may be moved on any officer, but in doing that, a two-month notice shall be provided to the secretariat of the party, which shall also be circulated,” he said.
It would be recalled that no fewer than four lower courts of concurrent jurisdiction had given conflicting judgements on the controversy surrounding the leadership of PDP.