PDP Supreme Court judgement: Party chiefs relocate to Abuja

‎THE Supreme Court will on Wednesday in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), deliver judgement on the leadership crisis between Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Court of Appeal had earlier ruled in favour of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman of the party while the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the party put in place at its botched Port Harcourt National Convention in 2016 approached the Apex Court for reversal.

A five-member panel of justices presided by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Ononghen had on May 22, this year reserved judgement on the matter

Following this development, party chiefs from both sides including state governors, their aides, members of the Board of Trustees (BOT), former ministers and establishment staff have been relocating the capital city ahead of the day’s judgement.

According to Tribune Online findings in Abuja on Tuesday, it was revealed that the party leaders have been holding series of consultations on how to handle the outcome of the judgement in the overall interest of the party whichever way it goes.

‎”Yes, we are converging on Abuja ahead of the Supreme Court’s judgement, whichever way it goes, we want to see our party intact, all of us will fall in and move forward,” a chieftain of the party told Tribune Online in confidence in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to him, “The outcome of the last Saturday’s Osun West Senatorial District bye-election in Osun State has given the hope that people still love the PDP as a political party, so we have to quickly put our house in order and start preparing for future elections especially the 2019 general elections.”

The Deputy National Chairman of Senator Sheriff, Dr Cairo Ojuigbo had told newsmen in Abuja that the party would abide by the judgement of the Supreme Court as law abiding citizens of Nigeria while the spokesman of the NCC, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, had also made similar promise in the interest of the party.

When Tribune Online visited the Wada National Secretariat of the Party in Abuja currently occupied by the Court of Appeal recognised faction of Senator Sheriff, it was gathered that Senator Sheriff and other members of the National Working Committee were in a crucial meeting ahead of Wednesday’s judgement.