PDP ‘Sacks’ Sheriff, Appoints Ex-Gov. Makarfi Interim Chairman

The Peoples Democratic Party has fired its national chairman, Modu Sheriff, and has appointed an interim party executive led by a former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi.

A former Anambra governor, Ben Obi, was also appointed interim secretary of the party.

The committee will be place for three months.

The PDP took the decision on Saturday as part of efforts to resolve the crises the party is facing, party officials told PREMIUM TIMES.

Meanwhile, the party’s scheduled national convention in Port Harcourt was cancelled, as a faction of the party conducted a parallel convention in Abuja same day.

“The convention is not holding. Our leaders have been meeting since early in the morning and they finally resolved that the convention should be shelved until the court order issued is vacated, “a delegate to the convention told PREMIUM TIMES.

He also said some of the leaders of the party expressed the view that “efforts should be made to resolve all differences with the Jerry Gana group before a fresh national convention is held”.

Our source added that the leadership which comprised of PDP governors and other eminent members of PDP agreed to name an interim committee to replace the National Working Committee, pending the election of new NWC members.

“What we are hearing now is that former Governor Ahmed Makarfi and Senator Ben Obi have been chosen as interim chairman and secretary,” our source said.

Another source present at the high-powered meeting that was convened at the office of Governor Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt said members resolved to make Mr. Markafi the chairman of the caretaker committee while Mr. Obi would function as secretary of the party.

“Governor Fayose said Sheriff should leave for a new caretaker chairman to take over, but Governor Wike said Sheriff should not be disgraced out of office just like that that they should let him be chairman of the caretaker. The governors rejected Mr. Wike’s suggestion,” the source said.

The source said there will be representatives of the six geopolitical zones in the caretaker committee, too.

“Sheriff was not happy with the development. In fact, he had to storm out of the venue of the meeting, angrily,” the source said.

He said the meeting was attended by most of the party’s serving and former governors, senators and honourable members as well as some members of the board of trustees.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this report incorrectly identified Peter Obi as the caretaker committee secretary. That position is held by Ben Obi.