Edo 2016: PDP calls for Sheriff’s arrest, prosecution

THE National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the arrest and prosecution of former national chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, for issuing a Certificate of Return to a parallel candidate in the September 10 Edo State governorship election.

The party maintained in a statement issued by its interim national publicity secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, in Abuja, on Wednesday, that the act was in contempt of court judgment that declared Sheriff validly removed from office.

Despite the Monday’s judgment, Sheriff had maintained his claim to the office of the national chairman and had, on Tuesday, gone ahead to issue the Certificate of Return to Honourable Matthew Idurioyekemwen, who emerged the candidate in a parallel congress conducted by the Sheriff group.

Idurioyekemwen had earlier lost the ticket to Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu in the congress conducted by the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led national caretaker committee.

The leadership of the PDP has now called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to immediately order the arrest and prosecution of the former national chairman of the party and Honourable Iduoriyekemwen for disobeying court’s judgment and charge them for contempt.

The party said the actions of Sheriff in issuing a Certificate of Return to Iduoriyekemwen, after the judgment of Monday, July 4, was utter disobedience and disrespect to court judgment and should not be treated with levity.

The PDP condemned, in strong terms, the attitude of Sheriff in recent times and urged security agencies to live up to their responsibilities before Sheriff brings the judiciary to ridicule, recalling that it’s not the first time he was disobeying court’s judgment or order.

“We are shocked at the attitude of the former national chairman of our great party, Senator Sheriff, who has become an authority in the country with flagrant disobedience for the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act and the PDP constitution without being arrested or detained by security agencies. Is he above the law?  Prince Adeyeye queried.

The party said Justice Abdullah Mohammed Liman’s judgment on July 4, was superior to all other court rulings, ex parte orders or interlocutory injunctions procured by Senator Sheriff and his co-travellers, saying that reliance on Justice Okon Abang’s ruling of Thursday, June 30, was an attempt to confuse unsuspecting members of the public as he has done in previous times.

The statement added: “You will recall that Senator Sheriff, in collaboration with some APC governors and members, invaded our party secretariat on Monday, June 13, 2016, laying claims to a non-existing court order; and he has started again after a competent court issued a judgment, upholding the decision of our national convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, which constituted the PDP National Caretaker Committee to pilot the affairs of the party for 90 days and to conduct another convention that will elect new officers of the party.

“Following this, we are calling on the police to do the needful by arresting Senator Sheriff, his co-travelers and Iduoriyekemwen for disobeying court judgment.”

The statement pointed out that the PDP hadflagged-off its campaign for the governorship election in Edo State; and that the law, as it stood, only recognise Pastor Ize-Iyamu as the authentic and only candidate of the PDP in the September 10, election in the state.

The party, therefore, charged all its members nationwide and in Edo State in particular, to give maximum support to its flag-bearer, Ize-Iyamu to win the election in order to bring the desired change the Edo people deserve.