There are strong indications that the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiohmole, was in near tears as his formidable political structures were shattered, when an Abuja High Court, ordered the Peoples Democratic Party’s, PDP, factional Chairman, Ali Modu-Sheriff, and other officers of the party to refrain from parading themselves in those capacities.
The court, presided over by Justice Valentine Ashi, had on Wednesday, June 29, nullified the 2014 PDP constitution amendment, upon which Sheriff was appointed PDP Chairman.
The court described the purported amendment, as illegal and a violation of the Electoral Act.
After the court’s shocking judgement, sources said that Oshiomhole, who has been capitalising in using the leadership crisis rocking the PDP, for a smooth ride to outwit the party in the forthcoming Edo Governorship Election, was devastated by the judgement.
“The judgement against Sheriff is a big setback for the comrade Governor. He knows that his popularity is fading away. The judgement has shattered his political structure. The crisis was an advantage to Oshiomhole, but the court has shamed him”, a source based in Benin City told Post-Nigeria.
Recall, that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had earlier warned that the PDP, risks not participating in the forthcoming Governorship election in Edo State, if it does not put its house in order, especially with the emergence of the Markafi and Sheriff factions.
The leadership tussle between the two factions in the party was a subject of litigation, as Sheriff rejected his removal in the May 21 National Convention of the PDP in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, insisting that he was still the National Chairman of the party.
The disagreement over who is the authentic National Chairman, and recourse to legal battle by the contending forces, led to the closure of the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, by the then Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase.
In view of the rumble in the opposition party, Oshiomhole, had boasted that the party would focus on how to battle other political parties in the State and not the PDP, which he said has several Chairmen.
“There is no PDP in Edo state. Which of the factions, we have one body several heads, even when they were in Federal, we defeated them with all their Federal might. So there is no PDP, as long as I am concerned,’’ the Governor declared.
Sheriff, had been accused of working for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to destabilise the PDP in both the State and at the National level.
With the latest judgement against Sheriff, Post-Nigeria gathered that it will not be business as usual, sensing that the PDP is forming a united front to face the APC in the state in the coming months.
Investigation shows that Oshiomhole is jittery, especially with the pronouncement of the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, that the Delta State Government will give the PDP in Edo State all the financial and logistics backing to flush out the ruling APC from the Government house.
Meanwhile, the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP, has expressed satisfaction in the judgment against Sheriff.
The Committee advised Sheriff to retrace his steps and join hands with others to move the party forward.
However, Sheriff’s Camp has maintained that the said court did not sack the embattled Chairman, adding that the judgment was being misinterpreted.
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