PDP crisis: Sheriff files appeal as court upholds sack
Tue Jul 05, 2016 08:34:am Politics
1.6K By Buchi Obichie
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday while reacting to the judgment which upheld his removal from office, embattled (former) National Chairman of the PDP, Ali Modu Sheriff, has said that the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, had no power to remove him from office.
Dismissing the ruling of the court, Sheriff said that the Port Harcourt court and the Abuja court, including a Federal High Court in Lagos, had last week re-affirmed him as the authentic Chairman of the party.
He said that the three courts were of the same competent jurisdiction and as such, the judgment of one was not superior to the other.
He said he remained PDP Chairman, except the Court of Appeal rules otherwise.
Sheriff said, "The court that gave judgement in Abuja last week and the Federal High Court in Lagos and today's court in Port Harcourt are all courts of the same competent jurisdiction.
"Therefore, the orders that we have in Abuja is still subsisting.
"What it means is that unless a Court of Appeal decides otherwise, I still remain the National Chairman of the PDP. Any court that is of the same jurisdiction cannot overrule another court unless it is Court of Appeal."
Sheriff said he disagreed with the judgment and that he had asked his lawyers to appeal it.
He said, "We disagree with today's judgment completely. We have asked our lawyers to immediately file an appeal and also ask the same court for stay of execution because there were three orders before his own, which are of coordinate jurisdiction.
"Unless and until the Court of Appeal, which is a higher court makes a pronouncement contrary to what we have, I still remain the chairman."
Alluding to Sheriff's position,his lawyer, Mr. Ajibola Oluyede, issued a statement later, saying he had proceeded to the Court of Appeal to challenge Monday's judgment.
"We advise INEC to note the above and take legal advice so that it may not find itself in contempt of the valid and subsisting orders of the Abuja Division which are direct and specific concerning the primaries of the PDP in Ondo and Edo states," Oluyede said.
However, the Chairman of the party's National Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi, has expressed happiness at the Port Harcourt judgment.
In a statement issued on Monday shortly after the delivery of the judgment, Makarfi asked the aggrieved group to join him in the effort to move the party forward.
Stating that there was neither victor nor vanquished in the matter, Makarfi expressed some sadness that the matter had degenerated to such extent.
Dismissing the ruling of the court, Sheriff said that the Port Harcourt court and the Abuja court, including a Federal High Court in Lagos, had last week re-affirmed him as the authentic Chairman of the party.
He said that the three courts were of the same competent jurisdiction and as such, the judgment of one was not superior to the other.
He said he remained PDP Chairman, except the Court of Appeal rules otherwise.
Sheriff said, "The court that gave judgement in Abuja last week and the Federal High Court in Lagos and today's court in Port Harcourt are all courts of the same competent jurisdiction.
"Therefore, the orders that we have in Abuja is still subsisting.
"What it means is that unless a Court of Appeal decides otherwise, I still remain the National Chairman of the PDP. Any court that is of the same jurisdiction cannot overrule another court unless it is Court of Appeal."
Sheriff said he disagreed with the judgment and that he had asked his lawyers to appeal it.
He said, "We disagree with today's judgment completely. We have asked our lawyers to immediately file an appeal and also ask the same court for stay of execution because there were three orders before his own, which are of coordinate jurisdiction.
"Unless and until the Court of Appeal, which is a higher court makes a pronouncement contrary to what we have, I still remain the chairman."
Alluding to Sheriff's position,his lawyer, Mr. Ajibola Oluyede, issued a statement later, saying he had proceeded to the Court of Appeal to challenge Monday's judgment.
"We advise INEC to note the above and take legal advice so that it may not find itself in contempt of the valid and subsisting orders of the Abuja Division which are direct and specific concerning the primaries of the PDP in Ondo and Edo states," Oluyede said.
However, the Chairman of the party's National Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi, has expressed happiness at the Port Harcourt judgment.
In a statement issued on Monday shortly after the delivery of the judgment, Makarfi asked the aggrieved group to join him in the effort to move the party forward.
Stating that there was neither victor nor vanquished in the matter, Makarfi expressed some sadness that the matter had degenerated to such extent.
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