By Innocent Anaba & Jimitota Onoyume

PORT HARCOURT—The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, told a Federal  High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, that former acting National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, was validly removed by the legally constituted May 21, 2016 National  Convention of the party held in Port Harcourt.

The PDP told the court that the  Caretaker Committee  of the party headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi was duly appointed  in line with the  Constitution  of  the  party.

The party stated that the National  Convention  was convened by the National Executive Committee headed by  the  former National Acting Chairman,  Senator Sheriff,  who himself  participated in pre-convention events including  his participation  in the screening exercise.

Marafa and Modu Sheriff

Making the submission on behalf of the PDP before the trial judge, JusticeAbdullahi Liman,  counsel  to the party, Oladejo Laminkanra, SAN, argued that: “Modu Sheriff submitted himself  for screening at the Port Harcourt National Convention.  Realising that he has lost his bid to be national chairman, Modu Sheriff  alone without consent and consultations with the National Executive Committee  claimed he postponed the convention. Modu Sheriff  had no such powers to postpone a convention approved by the National Executive Committee. “

According to the party,  “Modu Sheriff  is not the chairman  of  PDP.  He was never elected at any convention and he is subject to the extant judgment of A.B. Mohammed J of the Abuja High Court, which he is curiously  seeking  to  enforce.

“The Abuja High Court judge had in judgment  of  May 18. 2016 in FCT/CV/1443/2016 rejected  Modu Sheriff’s  argument  that he is PDP  Chairman  until 2016.”

The PDP  argued that no court stopped the party from holding its national convention, adding that the National Constitution  of  the  PDP  was also never suspended, hence the National  Convention derived its powers from the party’s  constitution.

The party  stated that the interim order of the Federal  High Court sitting in Port Harcourt  stopping  Modu  Sheriff from parading himself  as PDP  Chairman  was still subsisting.

Earlier, Sheriff urged the court to  dismiss  the  originating summons.

Sheriff through  his counsel, Ajibola Oluyode filed an applications  asking the court to set aside the interim order directing  him to stop parading himself  as acting National  Chairman.

The former  acting national  chairman  also urged the court to strike the name PDP  from the suit  and subsequently  strike it out.

Justice Liman  adjourned  the  matter to July 4, 2016 for judgment.