Breaking: Appeal Court in Port Harcourt affirms Sheriff PDP Chairman
The suspense hanging over the leadership tussle in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was laid to rest, on Friday, as the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt affirmed Ali Modu Sheriff, former governor of Borno State, as the authentic national chairman of the party.
The judgement was read by the Justice Bitrus Sanga.
The three judges unanimously decided that Modu Sheriff was the Chairman of the PDP, thereby, setting aside the legitimacy given to Makarfi last year by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, headed by Justice Okon Abang, as the Chairman.
The two senators have been embroiled in various litigations in Port Harcourt, Lagos, and Abuja courts, obtaining conflicting judgements over who becomes the party’s Chairman at the national level.
At the beginning of the crisis, the two factions of the party had publicly agreed to abide by the decision of the court, although this has not happened and from indications, the Makarfi faction might be heading to the Supreme Court.
An Appeal Court in Abuja had on December 16, 2016, adjourned indefinitely, the separate hearing in the leadership tussle so as to pave way for the Port Harcourt division of the court to exhaust the case before it.
On Thursday, Chieftains of the PDP from both the Makarfi and Sheriff factions converged in Port Harcourt, capital city of Rivers state for Friday’s landmark judgement.
