By Charles Adegbite
FORMER national vice chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ishola Filani, has described Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff’s legal battle with the party as a demonstration of ignorance.
Filani, reacting to the judgment of Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, told Daily Sun that: “Anyone who is familiar with the political set up of the PDP will know that the convention is the highest authority.”
Justice Liman had, on Monday, ruled that the decision of the PDP to dissolve the Sherif-led executive and appointed a caretaker committee, led by Senator Ahmed Markafi was in order.
Filani said whatever the party decided at the convention was final.
“Even where such decision is not in the constitution or not supported by the constitution, it serves as an amendment.
“So, setting up a caretaker or any committee at all, the constitution also gives the convention power to do anything in the interest of the party. So, setting up a caretaker committee at this point will give all the factions of the party opportunity, within three months, to come together,” he added.
Filani said what Sheriff and his collaborators did not realise was that after three months, they can still contest whatever position was zoned to their area. Nobody had sacked them from the party.
“They can contest any election. As you can see, those who were in Abuja, who said they were holding convention, were brought in almost within a week of the Port Harcourt convention.
“Sheriff and his caucus were all invited, but, they said they were relying on court judgment.
“On what was that previous judgment they were relying on? On nothing because none of them was elected,” he explained.
Filani insisted Sherif was not elected as he was only completing Bamanga Tukur and Adamu Mu’azu’s term.
Their tenure was supposed to end in March 2016 but was extended to May.
He commended the Federal High Court judge for the ruling.
“As far as this judgment is concerned, it is a landmark achievement for PDP because it has put issue in its true perspective.
“It has confirmed that the convention can set up a caretaker committee. The caretaker committee did not stop at that; they called the BoT members, the governors, the National Assembly caucus, the youths and women.
“They have been able to bring together all these people. The only people who were not brought on board were Sheriff people and we are appealing to them because, if it is true that they were not sent from outside to come and destroy PDP, let them now come and cooperate with the caretaker committee that was set up by the convention and now recognised by the court,” he added.