PDP crisis deepens as Jerry Gana sacks Sheriff, NWC

The crisis currently rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a messy dimension Thursday when some chieftains, acting under the umbrella of Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP, sacked the National Working Committee under the leadership of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
In a communique signed by former deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, former Education minister, Professor Tunde Adeniran and High Chief, Raymond Dokpesi, the group said it would constitute a 21-member steering committee to manage the affairs of the party.

The communique read to newsmen by former presidential spokesperson, Dr Doyin Okupe noted that “the purported extension of the tenure of the chairman and other members of the national working committee of the party by the NEC was an illegality and, therefore, untenable and contrary to the provision of our party constitution, which gives such powers only to the national convention of the party.”
They further claimed that since the extension of the tenure of its national leadership by NEC was illegal, all the activities leading to the convention slated for Port Hacourt would amount to a nullity.

However, Sheriff in a swift reaction said the Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP, with former information minister as convener, was not recognised by the party constitution.

Sheriff said he was not bothered by their pronouncement and vowed to continue with arrangement for the conduct of the national convention on May 21.

His media aide, Inua Bwala, said “Senator Ali Modu Sheriff isn’t stepping down as national chairman of the PDP; he is going ahead with plans to conclude with the process that he has started, with ward congress, local government and state congresses and the national convention of this party. Those who feel they cannot belong, those who cannot cope with this, they can as well fall by the roadside.