• As  Sheriff takes over secretariat
… He’s on sabotage mission, says ex-minister

From Taiwo Amodu, Abuja and Charles Adegbite, Lagos

Former Borno State governor,  Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, yesterday, made good his  threat to take over the party.
Sheriff, accompanied by loyalists, stormed Wadata Plaza to assume office as the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He was initially prevented from gaining entry by policemen who blocked him and later cordoned off the secretariat for the second time in two weeks.
But, he was later allowed to enter the premises, following the intervention of police headquarters.  In his company were two members of the dissolved  national working committee, Professor Wale Oladipo and Alhaji Adewole  Adeyanju, erstwhile national secretary and national auditor, respectively, PDP chieftain from Anambra state, Chris Uba and former Special Adviser to Obasanjo on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak.
Senator Ahmed Makarfi had formally assumed office as chairman of the caretaker committee, last Tuesday, after a peace deal brokered by the Board of Trustees (BoT) between his panel, which was proclaimed by the national convention of the party, in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State and Concerned PDP Stakeholders under the leadership of former deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu and former education minister, Professor Tunde Adeniran. The latter group, which had earlier conducted what it called a non-elective national convention in Abuja has since pledged loyalty to the Makarfi committee.
Addressing newsmen outside the party secretariat, Sheriff restated his earlier stance that by the declaratory judgment of Justice Hussein Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos, he remains the authentic national chairman of the party.
He further declared that the proclamation of the national convention was a nullity as he noted that he had earlier aborted it at a news conference same day, in deference to several court orders.
“The party belongs to Nigerians and not the Nigerian Police or the people that were handpicked  at Port Harcourt by Governor Nyesom Wike and his cohorts as well as the man who purported to  be acting chairman.
One thing remains, there was no convention in Port Harcourt because I cancelled it,” he said.
Sheriff asked members of his national working committee who had since pledged loyalty to the Makarfi team  to resume for work, or lose their seats to their deputies.
When contacted, spokesperson of the Makarfi committee, Dayo Adeyeye told Daily Sun on phone that they were still consulting with other organs of the party.
“We don’t have all the facts of the latest development. We are still consulting with other organs of the party. By tomorrow (today), we shall address the media, “ he said.
But former minister of mines and steel, Chief Sarafa Tunji Ishola said Sheriff is on a sabotage mission. He said it was unfortunate that an acting chairman who has not been confirmed and not elected by any national convention can suddenly  start impose himself on the party.
“There are two issues involved in this matter: legal and political. The legal issue has to do with the pronouncement of court. But, the political issue is the legitimate issue.
“An acting chairman that came into power three months ago and just joined the party that have been existing since 18 years now forcing himself on the party, arrogating power to yourself.
“Going to court without exhausting party apparatus in resolving the issue is indiscipline. Even taking the party to court is an act of sabotage,” he said.
“Another high court in Abuja, gave a ruling that 17 of the offices of members of national working committee would not be vacant until 2017.
“We thought those orders would be vacated because we approached the courts for vacation and I was told that we would get those orders vacated before the convention. So, when we couldn’t vacate those orders, there was no need to do a convention and we put it off.”
He submitted that the caretaker committee proclaimed at the convention was not properly constituted.
“There was no provision for caretaker in PDP Constitution. “Even if there was going to be a caretaker, there must be voting by delegates. That didn’t take place. So, as at today till 2018, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is chairman of the PDP. If Ahmed Makarfi wants to contest, let him wait until we hold a national convention. I didn’t want to be chairman, they begged me. So, nobody will put my reputation in jeopardy.
“When you are talking of a caretaker assuming office, the caretaker committee was not known to the constitution of the party while the Board of Trustees, (BoT) is only an advisory body in the Party. So, none of them  has the power to be running the affairs of our party. Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker has no role here,it is an illegal body in the eyes of the law.
Sun.