PDP Members Ask Court To Sack Sheriff, Others

Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have asked an Abuja High Court to compel the national chairman to vacate office by the end of March.

They also sought an order of the court to compel the party’s leadership not to hold the forthcoming national convention until the membership register of the party is computerized as stipulated in section 8(11) of its constitution.

The suit was filed by Engr. Nwosu Emmanuel and Mr. Eze Chuks Silas on behalf of the Restart PDP Group on March 8, 2016.

However, according to a copy of the originating summons with suit number Cv/1174/16, Nwosu and Silas, were the plaintiffs while PDP, Sheriff and the NWC are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.

According to the summons obtained by newsmen, the plaintiffs asked for ‘‘an order  restraining the current national chairman of the party (Senator Ali Modu Sheriff) and all other national officers of the Peoples Democratic Party whose tenure of office shall expire in March 2016 in line with the party’s constitution, from unlawfully extending their tenure of office beyond the mandatory four years term expressly stipulated in section 47(1) of the constitution of PDP.”

They are also asking the court for a declaration on the tenure of Sheriff.

They noted that Sheriff “having emerged to complete the unexpired constitutionally stipulated four years terms of the last former national chairman of be party and his immediate predecessor respectively (Alh. Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu and Alh. Bamanga Tukur whose tenure jointly ought to expire in March 2016, should vacate office in March, 2016 as any extension of his tenure shall contravene the provisions of sections 2; and 47(1) and (6) of the constitution of the party.”

They asked the court to restrain “the 1st defendant and all its organs from conducting party congress and 2016 national convention or other further national conventions pending the computerization of the party membership register as mandatory stipulated in the party’s constitution.

It would be recalled that the National Executive Committee (NEC) had barely a week ago, endorsed a proposal by Sheriff’s led National Working Committee (NWC) to conduct national convention in May 21, 2016 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

But some former ministers who served during the last dispensation and the PDP Restart Group have insisted on March 31, 2016 as exit date.