PDP Crisis: Ali Modu Sheriff declares Edo governorship primaries illegal, sets up temporary NWC

The factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali Modu Sheriff, has declared Monday’s governorship primaries in Edo State by the Ahmed Makarfi faction as “illegal and a contraption of an illegal caretaker Committee.”

Mr. Sheriff also urged members of the party nationwide especially, in Edo State, to disregard it.

In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, which was co signed by the factional National Secretary, Wale Oladipo, Mr. Sheriff urged INEC not to give legitimacy to what happened in Edo, saying his faction would conduct a proper primary in the state.

Also in another statement, the Sheriff faction released a schedule of fresh congress in Edo State to run from June 23 to June 29 with the inauguration of Congress Committee scheduled for Thursday.

Mr. Sheriff also released another statement on Tuesday warning all state chairmen and officers of the party against “meeting or having anything with the illegal Caretaker committee and warned that anybody dealing with them is on his own.”

The former Borno governor also announced the appointment of some deputy national officers as members of the National Working Committee in acting capacity.

He said he made the appointments following the resignation of five members of the NWC and in accordance with the provisions of sections 39(2), 42 (2), 43 (2), 44 (2) and 47 (6) of the Constitution of the PDP 2012 as amended.

The newly appointed officers are Okey Nnadozie (Acting National Organizing Secretary), Alonge-Niyi Dennis (Acting National Youth Leader), Hannatu Ullam (Acting National Women Leader) and Bashir Maidugu (Acting National Legal Adviser).

The appointments, he said, were with immediate effect.