Senator Ali Modu Sheriff purportedly removed as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the party’s convention in Port Harcourt in May, on Monday, said he remained the party’s chairman.
He told newsmen at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja that he would remain in that position until 2018 except he was removed by the court.
Sheriff, who was said to have just returned from a foreign trip, had earlier on Monday been denied access into the party’s secretariat by policemen.
He said that he had watched events as they unfolded after the Port Harcourt convention, which he recalled that he suspended in obedience to a court order.
According to him, the court ordered that nobody should be elected into the offices of National Chairman, Secretary and Auditor at the convention.
Sheriff described the Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee constituted at the convention as “omnibus body” saying that it was not in PDP’s Constitution.
“I remain the authentic national chairman of PDP until 2018 unless the court of our land said I should cease to be, which I will obey.
“But, as of today till 2018, Ali Modu Sheriff is the National Chairman of PDP,” he said.
He said that if Makarfi was interested in becoming the party’s chairman, he should wait for a national convention and contest.
“Ali Modu Sheriff did not want to be chairman; they begged me to be. All of them came to beg me,” he said.
Sheriff disclosed that when policemen stopped him from entering the party’s secretariat in the morning, he went to the Inspector-General of Police, who ordered his men to allow him in.
“Now that the police have handed over the security of the secretariat to the party, I will be coming everyday as the authentic chairman of the party,” he said.
He announced that Sen. Hope Uzordima was Chairman, Screening Committee for the party’s primaries for the September 10 governorship election in Edo State.
“We have also asked interested candidates to come and buy their forms for the primaries from Tuesday.
“We are not selling the form for N16 million that people are talking about. We are selling it for N10 million,” Sheriff said.
On the fate of the National Working Committee (NWC) members who handed over to Makarfi, he said that a letter would be written to their deputies to take over if they failed to resume on Tuesday.
“All the deputies are waiting; any NWC member that refuses to resume tomorrow, his deputy will take over.”
Sheriff, who claimed that he was working with every organ of the party, said that he was ready to work with every party member, including Makarfi and his committee members.
Sheriff was in company with National Secretary of the party, Prof. Adewale Oladipo, and a former political aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak.
The Police had earlier prevented Sheriff from entering into the party’s National Secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Wuse.
Sheriff arrived the party’s secretariat a few minutes past 7 a.m. in company of some of the former members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
He claimed he remains the party’s national chairman and had come to resume office in line with a ruling by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
However, the police barricaded his motorcade and a horde of his supporters from entering the secretariat.
The supporters came under two groups, “Guardians of Democracy Support Ali Modu Sheriff’’ and “Ali Modu Sheriff PDP Chairman.’’
They were dressed in crested vests, carrying placards with various inscriptions and were drumming and dancing in the front of the secretariat.
Sheriff told newsmen outside the secretariat that he was not happy with the action of the police.
He said that he was surprised at the action of the police even when the court had ordered the Inspector-General of Police to provide him with adequate security while resuming office.
“The party belongs to Nigerians and not the Nigeria Police or the people that were handpicked at Port Harcourt by Gov. Nysom Wike and his cohorts as well as the man (Sen. Ahmed Makarfi), who is purported to be acting as the national chairman of the party.
“One thing remains; there was no convention in Port-Harcourt because I cancelled it.
“I don’t know why the police say we cannot enter our office when we have a valid court order to that effect.
“We will take this matter beyond the Nigeria Police, the law will take its course in this matter,’’ Sheriff said.
He described the party national caretaker committee led by Makarfi as “illegal.’’
“The caretaker committee is not known to the constitution of the party, while the Board of Trustees (BoT) is only an advisory body to the party.
“So, none of them has the power to be running the affairs of our party. Sen. Ahmed makarif led caretaker has no role here; it is an illegal body in the eyes of the law,’’ Sheriff said.
Members of the former NWC, who came to the secretariat with Sheriff, are Prof. Adewale Oladipo and Alhaji Adeyanju Adewole, former National Secretary and former National Auditor, respectively.
