Breaking News: Supreme Court declares Makarfi authentic PDP leader, sacks Sheriff

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sacked Ali Sheriff as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The court also declared Ahmed Makarfi, the caretaker committee chairman, as the authentic leader of the PDP, Nigeria’s largest opposition party.

Reading the judgement, Justice Vivour explains how the national conventional should not have been disregarded by the appeal court.

Excerpts of the ruling ;

The subject matter concerns Article 33 of PDP constitution which states:

There shall be a national convention…

All members of the party shall be bound by the decisions of leaders from the National convention.

Article 33 states the supremacy of the National convention.

Article 35 allows for the deputy national chairman.

Article 47 states the party may remove the National leader after two years.

May is not the same thing as shall, the judge said. A national officer can be removed without a vote of no confidence.

There can be no doubt that the National convention has enormous powers over the party.

 

The contest is between the Ali Sheriff, who was purportedly removed at the party’s May 21 2016 convention, and the national caretaker committee chaired by Ahmed Makarfi.‎

While the Makarfi faction enjoys the support of most of the organs of the PDP, the Sheriff faction was declared the authentic leadership by the Court of Appeal.

Many members of the PDP including former governors and current lawmakers have since decamped from the party, citing the division in its leadership as reason.

The pronouncement of the Supreme Court today is expected to‎ finally resolve the leadership crisis in the party.