PDP crisis: Ex-ministers mobilise leaders as S’Court delivers judgment today

There was anxiety in the camps of the two factions of the
Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday as both eagerly anticipated the
outcome of the Supreme Court judgment on the leadership crisis in
the party.

The judgment is expected to be delivered on Wednesday (today) in
Abuja.

While the camp of the National Chairman of the party, Senator
Ali Modu Sheriff, said it was expecting the apex court to deliver
what it called justice, the camp of the National Caretaker
Committee of the party, headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, said it
would not speak on what might be the outcome of the case.

Rather, it said it would wait for the judgment to be delivered
before making its position known.

The apex court’s five-man bench, led by the Chief Justice of
Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, had, on Monday, May 23, adjourned
for judgment after the adoption of addresses by both parties.

Justice Onnoghen, who reserved judgment after the hearing, is
leading the five-man panel hearing the case.

Other justices on the panel are Justices Tanko Muhammad, Bode
Rhodes-Vivour, Kayode Ariwoola and Dattijo Muhammad.

The Acting National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Bernard
Mikko, who spoke on behalf of Sheriff, told our correspondent that
the crisis rocking the party would be expected to come to an end
after the judgment.

Mikko stated, “We are all eagerly waiting for the outcome of the
case. We have been informed and told that the judgment will be
delivered on Wednesday (today).

“We are expecting judgment and we are expecting justice to be
done.

“It is good that the judgment will come early and allow the
party to sit up and begin to work together as a true opposition
political party ahead of 2019.

“It is also noteworthy that the majority of the combatants,
including the likes of Governors Ayodele Fayose and Nyesom Wike of
Ekiti and Rivers states respectively, have said they will not leave
the party no matter the outcome of the case.

“In our own case, we remain members of the party irrespective of
the outcome of the case. Whichever way it goes, it (the judgment)
will strength our party and democracy.”

Spokesperson for the Makarfi’s caretaker committee, Dayo
Adeyeye, said he would not make any comment on the expected
judgment.

“I’m not going to speak on the expected judgment until after it
must have been delivered. So, let’s wait till tomorrow (today),” he
said.

Our correspondent however learnt that the party’s former
ministers had asked members of the party to attend the court
sitting on Wednesday.

The former ministers, in a text message to some of the members
of the party, which was seen by our correspondent, said, “Finally,
the Supreme Court of Nigeria has today officially notified our
great party, the PDP, of the date to deliver judgment on the suit
PDP vs. Sheriff and four others.

“Our teeming supporters and members, who are willing to attend,
are hereby encouraged to do so in solidarity with the PDP. God
bless the PDP! God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The Makarfi faction, which has the support of the majority of
the stakeholders and caucuses of the party, won the first case at
the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Sheriff and his team, who were dissatisfied with the outcome of
the judgment, approached the Court of Appeal sitting in Port
Harcourt for a review of the High Court judgment.

The former governor of Borno State won at the appeal court, but
Makarfi and his team challenged the judgment at the apex court.

Sheriff was appointed by the party’s leadership to complete the
tenure of the former National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu
Mu’azu, who is from the North-East.

His tenure was to last for three months, but different political
procedures have been used to keep him in office since the
expiration of the tenure of Mu’azu.

The former governor had planned a national convention, where he
would be re-elected, but the plan was truncated by the party’s
governors, who were his initial backers.

Makarfi and his team, who were appointed at the party’s national
convention in Port Harcourt, which was later nullified by the Court
of Appeal, had also attempted to conduct a national convention, but
stalled due to the crisis in the party.

There was anxiety in the camps of the two factions of the
Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday as both eagerly anticipated the
outcome of the Supreme Court judgment on the leadership crisis in
the party.

The judgment is expected to be delivered on Wednesday (today) in
Abuja.

While the camp of the National Chairman of the party, Senator
Ali Modu Sheriff, said it was expecting the apex court to deliver
what it called justice, the camp of the National Caretaker
Committee of the party, headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, said it
would not speak on what might be the outcome of the case.

Rather, it said it would wait for the judgment to be delivered
before making its position known.

The apex court’s five-man bench, led by the Chief Justice of
Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, had, on Monday, May 23, adjourned
for judgment after the adoption of addresses by both parties.

Justice Onnoghen, who reserved judgment after the hearing, is
leading the five-man panel hearing the case.

Other justices on the panel are Justices Tanko Muhammad, Bode
Rhodes-Vivour, Kayode Ariwoola and Dattijo Muhammad.

The Acting National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Bernard
Mikko, who spoke on behalf of Sheriff, told our correspondent that
the crisis rocking the party would be expected to come to an end
after the judgment.

Mikko stated, “We are all eagerly waiting for the outcome of the
case. We have been informed and told that the judgment will be
delivered on Wednesday (today).

“We are expecting judgment and we are expecting justice to be
done.

“It is good that the judgment will come early and allow the
party to sit up and begin to work together as a true opposition
political party ahead of 2019.

“It is also noteworthy that the majority of the combatants,
including the likes of Governors Ayodele Fayose and Nyesom Wike of
Ekiti and Rivers states respectively, have said they will not leave
the party no matter the outcome of the case.

“In our own case, we remain members of the party irrespective of
the outcome of the case. Whichever way it goes, it (the judgment)
will strength our party and democracy.”

Spokesperson for the Makarfi’s caretaker committee, Dayo
Adeyeye, said he would not make any comment on the expected
judgment.

“I’m not going to speak on the expected judgment until after it
must have been delivered. So, let’s wait till tomorrow (today),” he
said.

Our correspondent however learnt that the party’s former
ministers had asked members of the party to attend the court
sitting on Wednesday.

The former ministers, in a text message to some of the members
of the party, which was seen by our correspondent, said, “Finally,
the Supreme Court of Nigeria has today officially notified our
great party, the PDP, of the date to deliver judgment on the suit
PDP vs. Sheriff and four others.

“Our teeming supporters and members, who are willing to attend,
are hereby encouraged to do so in solidarity with the PDP. God
bless the PDP! God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The Makarfi faction, which has the support of the majority of
the stakeholders and caucuses of the party, won the first case at
the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Sheriff and his team, who were dissatisfied with the outcome of
the judgment, approached the Court of Appeal sitting in Port
Harcourt for a review of the High Court judgment.

The former governor of Borno State won at the appeal court, but
Makarfi and his team challenged the judgment at the apex court.

Sheriff was appointed by the party’s leadership to complete the
tenure of the former National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu
Mu’azu, who is from the North-East.

His tenure was to last for three months, but different political
procedures have been used to keep him in office since the
expiration of the tenure of Mu’azu.

The former governor had planned a national convention, where he
would be re-elected, but the plan was truncated by the party’s
governors, who were his initial backers.

Makarfi and his team, who were appointed at the party’s national
convention in Port Harcourt, which was later nullified by the Court
of Appeal, had also attempted to conduct a national convention, but
stalled due to the crisis in the party.