• Sheriff asks commission to ignore exercise
• No going back, says Makarfi.

Following the controversy surrounding the planned national convention of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun studying the issues raised with a view to coming up with a position.

A team raised by the electoral commission is studying the issues advanced by the different factions of the party vis-à-vis the different court pronouncements to be able to make an informed decision on the proposed convention.

A position is likely today, even as INEC spokesman, Mr. Nick Dazang, confirmed yesterday that the commission “is getting legal advice but (has) not taken a decision yet.”

The battle for the soul of the opposition party entered a familiar phase yesterday with a letter by the factional National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, urging INEC to ignore the national convention called by the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee to hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on August 17, 2016.

Riding on the crest of the ruling of a Federal High Court in Abuja recognising him as the chairman of the party, Sheriff pushed his argument that the Makarfi-led caretaker committee is illegal and has no powers under the PDP constitution to convene the party’s national convention.

Just on Tuesday, the National Caretaker Committee (NCC) led by Makarfi appointed Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike as chairman of its proposed August 17, 2016 national convention in Port Harcourt.

Also, 241 others were appointed to serve as members of the committee.

But the letter signed by Sheriff and his faction’s National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo and titled Re: Notification Of Ward Congresses And National Convention” and dated August 2, 2016, reads: “Kindly refer to a letter dated 20th July, 2016 by the illegal PDP Caretaker Committee purported to notifying INEC of a proposed ward congresses to nominate 3 Ad-hoc delegates on August 10, 2016 and local government congresses to nominate national delegates on Friday, August 12, 2016 for a repeat national convention slated for Wednesday, August 17, 2016.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the only body that can call for and ratify activities culminating to a national convention of our great party, the PDP, is our party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) headed by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as national chairman.

“This is enshrined in Article 31 (2)(a) of our party’s Constitution – ‘The National Executive Committee shall;
a) ‘Convene the national convention and appoint a convention organising committee which shall circulate the convention information in advance and ensure that the concerns of the membership are reflected on the agenda.

f) ‘Prepare reports and budgets for approval by the national convention.

‘‘The Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led PDP is not planning any national convention, as he has not been so authorised by the national executive committee of the PDP. Any person or group of persons planning for an event is doing so as an illegal body and in direct contempt of valid court orders. This letter is to kindly put you on notice to ignore any such notifications by the illegal Makarfi-led caretaker committee.”

Sheriff’s spokesman, Mr. Inuwa Bwala, confirmed yesterday that there was such a letter sent to the INEC.

But in a reaction yesterday, the Makarfi-led caretaker committee urged INEC to disregard Sheriff’s letter, pointing out that none of the arguments of Sheriff could stand.

A statement signed by the committee’s spokesman, Dayo Adeyeye, reads in part: “‎We call on INEC to disregard the letter from the former National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and his cohorts. It belongs to the garbage bin. He is merely acting the script of his paymasters.

“The Caretaker Committee will continue with its dogged determination to organise the best national convention in the history of our great party.‎”

According to Adeyeye, “the latest attempt by Sheriff and his cohorts is not only to scuttle the forthcoming national convention but another clear evidence of his determination to destroy the PDP.” ‎

Meanwhile, a member of Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Chidi Okolo, has warned against narrowing the national chairmanship position of the party to any zone in the south.

Out of the three zones that make up the southern Nigeria– South-East, South-South and South-West– the position has severally been occupied by the South-east, leaving the present contest for South-West and South-South regions.

Commenting on the development yesterday, Okolo said that narrowing the contest to one out of the two remaining zones would further aggravate the crisis in the party, stressing that it would also not allow party members an opportunity to make the right choice.