… Picks Ojougboh as his acting deputy
The factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali Modu Sheriff, has said he is ready to vacate his office only if the party’s leadership tells him to leave.
Sheriff’s comment is sequel to the leadership crises currently rocking the party after PDP claimed that the tenure of the factional leader had elapsed.
The party went ahead to inaugurate Sen. Ahmed Makarfi as the Chairman of a National Caretaker Committee to take over the leadership of the party after a failed convention in Port Harcourt.
Speaking during a visit by some state chairmen of the party in Abuja yesterday, Sheriff said it was wrong for a faction of the party to attempt to push him aside when he was elected by the members of the party at its National Executive Committee meeting.
Sheriff said, “I’m ready to go. I’m not saying I must be the national chairman at all costs. I was invited to lead the party and the election that brought me to office was done at the NEC Hall of the party at its national secretariat.
“Four other aspirants contested against me at the NEC meeting.
“The governors invited me among others to be considered by the NEC and the NEC sat and elected me as the national chairman of the party.
“There’s nothing personal about my being there or individual pride about it. It is about the rule of law and the rule of law must not give way to illegalities.”
The former senator told the state chairmen that he was aware that his tenure would end in 2018, stressing that the former chairman that he replaced, Ahmed Mu’azu, was elected in 2014.
“Ahmed Mu’azu got his election when former President, Goodluck Jonathan was elected as the party’s presidential candidate in 2015. I replaced him. So, my tenure would expire after four years in office,” he added.
Meanwhile, Factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has appointed erstwhile PDP Vice Chairman (South-South), Dr. Cairo Ojougboh as the acting Deputy National Chairman.
Sheriff and the faction’s National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, jointly signed the appointment letter of Ojougboh, who was one of the party’s mainstream national officials that were removed at the party’s May 21 factional national convention in Port Harcourt.
According to the letter the appointment takes immediate effect.
The letter reads thus, “Please, be informed that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party in a meeting held on the 28th of June 2016, and having received nomination from the Concerned PDP stakeholders (Abuja Convention Group) and major stakeholders in the South-south has appointed you as the Acting Deputy National Chairman of the party pending the conduct of election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of the erstwhile Deputy National Chairman. This appointment takes immediate effect.”
