The Supreme Court in Abuja has declared the Senator Ahmed Makarfi led caretaker committee as the authentic leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) therefore putting an end tto the crisis rocking the main opposition party.Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour who read the judgment on Wednesday on behalf of the five-man panel of judges set aside the ruling of the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt that affirmed Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the Chairman of the party.
The Supreme Court in Abuja has declared the Senator Ahmed Makarfi led caretaker committee as the authentic leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) therefore putting an end tto the crisis rocking the main opposition party.
Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour who read the judgment on Wednesday on behalf of the five-man panel of judges set aside the ruling of the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt that affirmed Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the Chairman of the party.
The Supreme Court held that the decision of the National Convention of the party held on May 21, 2016 in Port Harcourt was right to have removed Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the Chairman of the party being the highest decision-making organ of the party.
The court ruled that Senator Sheriff was wrong to have called for the suspension of the convention having submitted himself as an aspirant to contest for the National Chairman of the party.
The court held further that Sheriff decision to suspend the National Convention was predicated on his disqualification by the screening committee set up to screen all the aspirants seeking the chairmanship of the party.
Justice Rhodes-Vivour admonished politicians to stop engaging in “forum shopping” and that heads of courts should always assign cases of the same nature and content to a single judge so as to avoid getting conflicting judgement.
The judgment has put to rest the protracted leadership tussle rocking the party since the former chairman Adamu Muazu left the party in an abrupt manner when pressure was mounted on him by the stakeholders of the party after losing the 2015 Presidential election.
Meanwhile, there was wild jubilation at the court by PDP leaders and supporters of the Makarfi led faction who were present in court.
PDP faithful present in court includes governors Nyesome Wike of Rivers and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti as well as former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau.
Other PDP bigwigs include Ahmed Markafi, Senator Ben Obi, Bode George, Dayo Adeyeye, Jerry Gana, and a former deputy speaker House of Representatives.
However, Sheriff was absent during the judgment.
We had revealed that the current Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen had agreed with PDP leaders to award a favorable judgment to Makarfi led faction, arguing that NNigeria needs a a strong “opposition” party.
Yesterday, our sources revealed that Governor Wike was jubilating in Part Harcourt after the content of the judgment was leaked to him.
CULLED FROM: saharareporters.com
