Court Declares PDP Convention Legal, Confirms Sack of Ali Modu Sheriff

The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital, on Monday ruled that the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to have dissolved the Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff led executive of the party and appointed a Caretaker Committee headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi was in order.

The presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Liman, while delivering judgment on a suit brought before him by the National Caretaker Committee of the party, declared that the Port Harcourt national convention of the party was legally constituted and its decisions constitutional.

The Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee had sought a court order restraining Sheriff from parading himself as the National Chairman of the PDP and also asked the court to recognise the PDP convention held on May 21 in Port Harcourt.

All the reliefs were opposed by Ali Modu-Sheriff who accused Ahmad Makarfi of impersonation. The judge dismissed all grounds of defence put up by former National Chairman of the party, Senator Modu Sheriff.

Liman declared as legal the May 21 national convention of the PDP, stressing that its decisions did not violate any known law or the constitution of the party. He held that Sheriff should have participated in the convention and moved a motion for postponement rather than just holding a press briefing to call off a well-organized convention.