Leadership Tussle: Sheriff takes over PDP Secretariat

The crisis-rocking the Peoples Demo­cratic Party (PDP) yesterday took another di­mension as the embattled National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff took over the national secretariat.

Sheriff eventually gained entry into the par­ty’s national headquarters after three attempts.

He had earlier stormed the party in the morn­ing at about 7:28 am but was prevented from gain­ing entry by armed police men.

After his second at­tempt at about 11:58 am that was not also success­ful, Sheriff left the party premises around 12:25pm without also gaining en­trance.

He came back about 1:20pm and was finally allowed to enter the secre­tariat. This was even as he had succeeded in entering into the party presidential campaign office, the Lega­cy House.

Addressing newsmen shortly after gaining entry into the complex, Sheriff, who was in company of two members of the party National Working Com­mittee (NWC) that were sacked at the convention, the National Secretary, Prof. Adewale Oladipo and National Auditor, Ad­ewole Adeyanju, insisted that he remain the party National Chairman till 2018, adding that mem­bers from the other camp, including the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Ahmed Makarfi, the Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Senator Walid Jubrin, who he said had called him two times and others are welcome on board.

Speaking on why he had not taken over the party after the national convention in Port Har­court, Rivers State where he was sacked, Sheriff said it would be height of self-deceit to say there is no crisis in the party.

“I will therefore con­sider it the height of self-deceit for anyone to pre­tend that the PDP is not in crisis, but also wish to assure you that, we have been working round the clock to see how we can resolve the matter, with­out being on the wrong side of the law.

“It is public knowledge that, although there was an order by the Federal High Court in Lagos, de­claring me the authentic National Chairman of the PDP, I have kept away from taking steps that could jeopardize the law following an ex-parte or­der from the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt which had given a contra­dictory order, restraining me from operating as the Chairman of our party notwithstanding some further orders from the Federal High Court La­gos, specifically directing the inspector General of Police to provide me with adequate security to en­able me carry my duties.