I remain PDP chairman, Sheriff insists

The sacked National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali Modu Sheriff has insisted that he remained the national Chairman of the party despite the appointment and swearing in of a caretaker committee chairman for the party.

Sheriff was sacked at the national convention of the PDP in Port Harcourt on Saturday after he had announced the cancellation of the convention.

The former Borno State Governor also said he feels betrayed by those who masterminded his sack.

This was stated by Sheriff’s spokesman, Inuwa Bwala, on Saturdaynight.

According to him, Sheriff remained opposed to what happened at the Port Harcourt convention, since he had announced its suspension after consulting with members of the National Working Committee of the party.

“Immediately the chairman (Sheriff) received another court injunction, he called a meeting of the National Working Committee and told them that it wasn’t safe to continue with the convention of the party, especially since the court had forbidden elections virtually into all the offices.

“He announced the suspension of the convention at a press briefing, only for some people to go behind and claim that there was convention.

Read also: Convention: PDP sinks deeper into division, as Sheriff cancels P’Harcourt election

“There was no organ of the party that was represented at the convention.

“The convention was cancelled, and it remains cancelled until such a time the matters in court are resolved, for us to convene another national convention.”

Mr. Bwala said Sheriff remained the national chairman of the PDP, going by the pronouncement of the court.

“The court had said the office of the chairman would become vacant only in 2018, and that is parts of the reasons we shelved the convention,” said Mr. Bwala.

On why Sheriff fell out with the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, and the Senate Minority Leader, Godwill Akpabio, Bwala  said: “Some of them wanted to go on with the convention even with the subsisting court orders, and Sheriff said no. And that was their point of departure.”

On how Sheriff felt with the outcome of the Port Harcourt convention, Bwala said he feels betrayed by the same people he was working with.

“Naturally, you will feel betrayed if you are working with some people, only for them to go behind you to work against what you all agreed to do.”

Former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio moved the motion that sacked Sheriff while the voice vote to confirm and elect members of the care taker committee was conducted by Governor Wike.

 

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