By Ben Agande

ABUJA—The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, fixed August 17 for its national convention to elect new officers that would take over from the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee. In a move seen as a major blow to Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who had been laying claims to the leadership of the party after being sacked by the national convention, one of his main supporters, Senator Buruji Kashamu, also switched loyalty to the Makarfi-led caretaker committee.

Addressing journalists at the end of an expanded caucus meeting of the party with members of the caretaker committee in Abuja, Senator Makarfi said the party was still open to accepting all those who are with Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.

The expanded caucus comprise state governors, members of the party’s Board of Trustees, the party’s principal officers in the National Assembly and other stakeholders. According to Makarfi, yesterday’s meeting discussed programmes, leading to new the convention which had been fixed for August 17 in Port Harcourt.

He said: “We also discussed and agreed on a new amendment to the party constitution in view of recent court judgments in order to align the constitution to the judgments that have been delivered by court of competent jurisdiction.”