Abuja Court dismisses Modu Sheriff as PDP chairman

An Abuja High Court has declared as “null and void” the process that produced a former Borno State governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, as chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The judge, Valentine Ashi, faulted the amended PDP Constitution in 2014, which led to the emergence of Mr. Sheriff as the party’s chairman, after the resignation of former Bauchi State governor, Adamu Muazu.

The amendment had zoned the office of the national chairman of the party to the North-East.
In his ruling on Wednesday, Mr. Ashi said the amendment was a violation of the Electoral Act and described the actions of the PDP leaders who partook in the amendment as illegal.

Mr. Sheriff has been locked in a battle with Ahmed Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna State, for the chairmanship position of the party.

Mr. Makarfi was appointed chairman of a caretaker committee, backed by state governors and national lawmakers.

Mr. Sheriff had won more support in recent days, and had rejected Edo State governorship election primaries conducted by the Makarfi-faction.