The choice of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman came at a time the party was on the brink of collapse. The party was at its lowest ebb, it was so frustrating for most of its members that one can readily read in between the lines.

The PDP was just like a sinking ship after its disastrous 2015 outing at the polls. It dawned on some of its members, whom could not stomach the bitter pains of loss to resign to fate, while some, whom still had the iota of some confidence in the party, continued to hang on hope of its erstwhile hopeless leaders.

The party’s loss of the presidential race was what the party termed as a ‘major’ loss, as it has ultimately lost grip of the centre.

Of recent, the party secretariat was a theatre of some sort, there was rancour and confusion all around the “umbrella” building that once a time was termed the “biggest” political party of the black race that hopes to rule Nigeria for at least 100 years, nonstop.

It all started after former President Goodluck Jonathan lost his election to President Muhammadu Buhari, his concede to the defeat came as a sucker punch on members of the party that were of the view that Jonathan was “too hasty” in conceding defeat.

They had preferred to slug it out on the floors of the election tribunals with the hope that it may end-up at the mercy of the Supreme Court that will decide.

Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s emergence was so sudden despite other candidates that have earlier indicated their interests for the party’s national chairmanship position.

The then national publicity secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh hd tken time to explain the rationale behind the “selection” of Sheriff as their chairman against all odds.

According to him, “we have decided that the North East Caucus should meet and bring a candidate to replace the National Chairman that resigned, Adamu Mu’azu”.

“But when they met, they were not able to narrow it down to one person. So, what they did was to send to us five people; one from each state of the North East. They sent Girigiri from Yobe State, Ambassador Wilberforce Juta from Adamawa State, Abba Gana from Borno State, Shehu Gabam from Bauchi State, and Senator Kumo from Gombe State. Taraba did not have any other person”.

“So, these five people were invited to come and see the National Caucus on Monday to take a decision”.

“The meeting that we had with them, we decided that it was important that we enlarge the scope and the number of people that will come. So, we extended and invited some other people to come and show why they want to be chairman. One or two governors confirmed that Ribadu had shown interest in becoming chairman; so we extended invitation to him to come”.

“We were told that Modu Sheriff over the weekend expressed an interest. We invited him to come and tell us. And because Hon. Wakil had come down from the United Kingdom to participate in the process, we invited him as well”.

“On Monday, apart from those five people, we interviewed Ali Modu Sheriff and Mohammed Wakil. But we were told that Ribadu was not comfortable with an interview”.

“After the interview process, they were narrowed down to two persons. And a little over an hour ago, the National Caucus discussed. The Governor first of all discussed and brought a candidate, the National Assembly discussed and brought a candidate, the BoT discussed and came up with a candidate, the National Working Committee discussed and came with a candidate. So, we brought the candidate at the National Caucus. And one interesting thing was that unanimously, it was the same candidate that every single organ of the party brought to the National Caucus”.

“So, the National Caucus endorsed that they will bring to the Board of Trustees the choice of the National Caucus, after which both organs will bring the nomination to the National Executive Committee (NEC)”.

“So, there is no approval of the National Executive Committee but for now, I can confirm to you that the National Caucus has chosen Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to be the National Chairman of the party. But we are awaiting Board of Trustees approval and the NEC to appoint this afternoon. So, this is exactly where we are”.

He said that, “the North East Caucus pruned down the five persons from the list of about 29 persons. All of them showed interest including Abdullahi Jalo. But I know that Gulak had indicated interest to the National Chairman a few weeks ago. Whether he participated in this process, I cannot speak for him. I am only telling you that it was pruned down from 29 names that indicated interest”.

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Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, the erstwhile former Peoples. Democratic Party (PDP) national Chairman was finally sacked on Saturday during the party’s controversial national convention held in Port Harcourt.

The ousting of the chairman followed intriguing melodrama of events before the purported national congress of the party.

Senator Ali Sheriff whom was elected as Chairman of the party was not to be without the rancour and disgruntled members of the party showing their obvious disdain for the rationale behind his emergence.

This culminated into several court cases that in the long run stopped the election of certain offices of the national working committee and series of faulted states congresses that fell short the expectations of the party members.

Immediately after the ouster of Sheriff, the interim Chairman of the factional Abuja congress of the PDP, Sen. Ibrahim Mantu reacted that their focus and motive to remove Sheriff has yielded fruitful dividend.

In his speech to the press on Saturday Mantu stated that, “after watching events at PH convention, it is necessary for us to react to some of the things we saw there”.

“First and foremost, we want to thank our members throughout the nation for giving us the support that has actually led us to achieve some of the goals we have set for ourselves”.

“We were opposed to the zoning and indeed the zoning has been cancelled or set aside. We also opposed to the proposed convention that was to take place and the convention did not take place courtesy of the courts”.

“Again, we were opposed to the way the Congresses have been conducted, that, they fell short of our expectations .Now these congresses and conventions have been set aside”.

“This group can confidently say that we have achieved all the targets we set to achieve”.

According to findings from sources from Port Harcourt indicate that the former PDP national Chairman was subjected to intense pressure by the state governors that have stood by him to step aside.

It became obvious that Sheriff had wanted to continue in office until 2018 especially with the prevailing court order restraining the election of some NWC offices that includes the party chairman’s office too.

On the legal implications of what has happened in Port Harcourt, former minister of National Planning Alhaji Tanimu Turaki stated that, “We here have sat down and review the happening in PH very carefully and the decisions that came out have clearly vindicated our positions which is based on principles”.

“We had taken a position that things were done wrongly and unconstitutionally. Things have been done without due regards to processes and procedures”.

“They have sat down and deliberated on what has happened but we are also amazed at the way and manner the party has been further factionalised”.

He averred that, “Coming out of the PH meeting, with two groups now instead of one, we have examined that very cautiously, we have also heard some of the statements coming from the two groups and we are here trying to carefully study them to look at the implementations for the future and progress of our party”.

He maintained that, “it is really unfortunate that instead of working as one group towards the strengthening and bringing of all members together, our friends in PH have ended up in further factionalising the party”.

He said that, “There is a group now behind Sheriff saying that everything that has been done is illegitimate and wrongful even when the other group is saying that Sheriff has been dissolved”.

The Port Harcourt convention had earlier constituted a caretaker committee under the leadership of former Kaduna State Governor, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi whom was saddled with the responsibility to steer the party to formal convention at a later date.

However, on the appointment of the caretaker committee the group said it was opposed to the appointment of caretaker committee as was done in PH.

Senator Ibrahim Mantu also advised that instead of the caretaker committee the body that is constitutionally mandated to take over the affairs of the party at this crises point is the BoT which is also the conscience of the party.

He said, “At this point in time, the only legal organ conditionally empowered to actually take over the affairs of the party is the BoT.

While Tanimu Turaki ws of the view that, “in this situation therefore the BoT leadership must take up it responsibilites over the reign of the affairs of the party and bring all the members of our party back home for us to sit down and find a way forward as members of one family.