Sheriff’s faction takes over Delta PDP secretariat

Sequel to the Court of Appeal judgement in Port-Harcourt, the faction of Alhaji Ali-Modu Sheriff of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have taken over the control of the party in Delta state.
They served vacation notice on Senator Ahmed Makarfi faction to relinquish the state secretariat or risk being injected with force.
Arriving from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Sheriff’s faction, on Monday, stormed the police headquarters in Asaba, and tendered the order by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, permitting them to take over the structure of the party in the state to the Commissioner of Police, Zanna M. Ibrahim.
They also presented the order to the Department of Security Services (DSS) in Asaba.
Led by its state chairman of the party, Chief Austin Ogbaburon, loyal to Sheriff, the faction wondered why Makarfi’s men, chaired by Hon. Kingsley Esiso, were still holding sway after the court in Port-Harcourt sacked them on February 17, last month.
According to them, since the Court of Appeal judgement was in favour of Sheriff, they should be stripped of the control of the party.
Ogbaburon, supported by the party’s council chairman in Ndokwa East, Chief Kris Oputah and five others, who spoke in Asaba said since they had notified the IG, the order to give them protection will flow from the police hierarchy.
He confirmed that his group has taken over the secretariat, saying, “Although, we have not formally moved in. We have served a notice on the police and DSS, notifying them of our intention to takeover the secretariat. If the IG has so directed, who will pose resistance? Is it the Governor, who is a PDP man, the leader of the party in the state? He will not work to further polarise the party. He knows there is no faction in the party.”
Oputah said the constitution of the party empowered Sheriff to lead the party till when he conducts the convention that will usher in his successor.
He expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would uphold the judgement of the lower court, which relied on the dictates of the party constitution.