More trouble for PDP as Sheriff ‘annuls’ Edo primary

Ali Modu Sheriff, disputed national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has described the just concluded Edo state governorship primary as illegal. Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a former secretary of the government of the state, defeated two other candidates to emerge the party’s flagbearer in the September 10 election.

But Sheriff faulted the process through which Ize-Iyamu emerged. A statement co-signed by Sheriff and Wale Oladipo, former national secretary of the PDP, said a letter had been written to the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging him not to “give legitimacy to what happened in Edo”.

It added that the party was going to conduct a proper primary in Edo. In a separate statement, the party released a scheduled congress in Edo State to start from June 23 to June 29 with the inauguration of congress committee scheduled for Thursday.

The statement warned state chairmen and officers of the party not to deal with the Ahmed Makarfi-led committee. It also announced the appointment of some deputy national officers as members of the national working committee in acting capacity with immediate effect.

The officers are: Okey Nnadozie, acting national organising secretary; Alonge-Niyi Dennis, acting national youth leader; Hannatu Ullam, acting national women leader; and Bashir Maidugu, acting national legal adviser.

According to the statement, the appointment of the officers is as a result of the resignation of five members of the NWC. “This is in accordance with the provisions of sections 39(2), 42 (2), 43 (2), 44 (2) and 47 (6) of the Constitution of the party 2012 as amended,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, Nick Dazang, INEC deputy director of publicity and voter education, told NAN that the commission was yet to receive a letter from Sheriff. “As at this (Tuesday) evening, INEC department of party monitoring and observation is yet to receive Sheriff’s letter,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“However, if you look at the INEC schedule for Edo election, the schedule date for primaries is between June 2 and July 4. “For anyone to hold a convention, he needs to serve the commission 21 days’ notice.

“Twenty-one days’ notice from today will exceed the period allocated for the conduct of party primaries for Edo which ought to be over by July 4.”

While the PDP May 21 national convention that constituted the Makarfi-led caretaker committee claimed it had removed Sheriff and members of his NWC, Sheriff is insisting that he will remain in charge of the affairs of the party chairman until 2018, with the exception of being removed by a court.