Ali Modu Sheriff, the disputed National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has declared Monday’s governorship primary of the party in Edo State as illegal, dismissing it as the work of an illegal care-taker committee.
Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a former Secretary of the State Government emerged the party’s flagbearer in the primaries conducted by another faction of the party led by a former Governor of Kaduna State, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, the chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee put together by PDP governors at the convention held in Port Harcourt on May 21.
However, a statement co-signed by Sheriff and Wale Oladipo, former National Secretary, PDP, disclosed that a letter had been written to the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging him not to “give legitimacy to what happened in Edo”.
In a statement on Tuesday, Sheriff urged members of the party nationwide, especially in Edo State, to disregard the primary, saying the party would conduct a “proper primary” in the state.
He however released a scheduled congress in Edo State to start from June 23 to June 29 with the inauguration of congress committee scheduled for Thursday and announced the appointment of some Deputy National Officers as members of the National Working Committee in acting capacity with immediate effect.
The newly appointed officers are: Okey Nnadozie, Acting National Organizing Secretary; Alonge-Niyi Dennis, Acting National Youth Leader; Hannatu Ullam, Acting National Women Leader and, Bashir Maidugu, Acting National Legal Adviser.
According to the statement, the appointment of the officers is as a result of the resignation of five members of the NWC in accordance with the provisions of sections 39(2), 42 (2), 43 (2), 44 (2) and 47 (6) of the Constitution of the party 2012 as amended.