Supreme Court Hears PDP Chairmanship Case Thursday

As Jonathan meets Wike State party chairmen back Dickson

The Supreme Court will on Thursday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, hear the case filed by the Senator Ahmed M aka rf i-led National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples’ Democratic Party( P DP ), challenging a recent judgment of the Court of Appeal, which restored the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff leadership of the party.

This however came at a time former President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, met with the Rivers State Governor, Nyesome Wike in Port Harcourt, the state capital and held talks behind closed doors, apparently in view of the lingering crisis in the party.

In similar breath, all the 23 state chair men of the party threw their weight behind the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dick son, who is also the reconciliation committee chairman of the party for his peace initiatives in the overall interest of the PDP.

THISDAY gathered at the weekend that oneof the parties to the case, the M aka rf i-led group, will be arguing its case for accelerated hearing in view of the forthcoming governor ship elections in An am bra and Ekiti States.

But THISDAY learnt that the other party has also asked its legal team to oppose the plea for accelerated hearing on the grounds that there was nothing urgent to warrant such a request since there was an existing party leadership in place.

The Makarfi group has also vowed to take further steps to challenge the illegality of the Sheriff-led National Working Committee, saying it would challenge Sheriff’s actions which it claimed were in clear violation of the judgment of the Court of Appeal that ordered reversal to status quo ante.

The group also described the meeting of state chair men held in Abuja on Friday night as an illegal assembly, adding that all those who attended the meeting which declared support for Sheriff were nothing but fake state chairmen.

THIS DAY gathered that part of the actions being contemplated to prevent Sheriff’ s leadership from moving on with their convention plan is to secure a court in junction based on alleged impunity and infractions he has committed.

A statement by the Caretaker Committee spokesperson, Dayo Adey eye, accused Sheriff and his men of causing more problems for the party by going round the states, disorganising the party at state levels and giving recognition to illegal persons as state chairmen.

He said since the Appeal Court Judgment of Port Harcourt Division pronounced the May 21 Convention illegal, Sheriff has made a number of illegal appointments including that of the Deputy National Chairman and National Publicity Secretary.

“It should be noted, however, that para ding himself as National Chairman with illegal State Executive Committees by Senator Sheriff will surely further aggravate the situation. The continued parade of Dr. CairoOjougbohas Deputy National Chairman and Hon Bernard Mikko as Acting National Publicity Secretary of the PDP are acts of impunity and will be challenged in court,” he said.

He claimed it was a known fact that no meeting of the NWC or National Executive Committee (NEC) was held to nominate or approve the appointments of these men.

Adeyeye, who said Sheriff had been deluding himself by claiming he had the support of party members, insisted that the caretaker committee remained committed to seeing through the appeal filed at the Supreme Court as a way of settling the PDP crisis once and for all.

“This committee will like to appeal to all party faithful to remain calm and committed to the cause of the party while the matters before the Supreme Court are carefully and meticulously sorted out in the interest of the party,” he said.

Jonathan, who has been very active in the PDP peace process, described Wike as a good representative of a PDP government that is committed to the development of his people, adding that Wike has performed creditably since assuming office 22 months ago through his transformation of the state.

Jonathan spoke to journalists yesterday after he was led on a tour of projects being executed by Wike. Projects inspected by the former president included the new amphitheatre, the Government House Chapel, Restored Brick House (former Seat of Power in Rivers State), New Corridor of Power and Extended Landscape.

Jonathan praised the governor for keeping the torch shining by his exemplary performance which has justified his election by the people of Rivers State.

He noted that W ike’ s outstanding performance has become the common story across the country, pointing out that he has been hearing about the good works of the governor for some time and that indeed, the governor has lived up to his reputation.

He noted that since Wike was sworn in, Saturday was his first time of driving round Port Harcourt. He expressed satisfaction with the quality of transformation he witnessed en route the Government House.