Modu Sheriff has suspended the Edo State executive committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing various petitions against irregularities in the congresses that sought to elect State Executive Committee for the chapter.
Sheriff had earlier nullified the Plateau State congress of the party and promised to set machinery in motion for the emergence of a fresh executive committee for the state PDP.
He and the National Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Wale Oladipo, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, said the suspension of the Edo PDP exco was part of the decision taken at the NWC meeting of 21st June 2016.
They said the suspension would enable the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party investigate the allegations contained in the petitions and come out with a fair and just decision.
Sheriff proceeded to appoint an eight-member caretaker committee to run the affairs of the state chapter for a period of three months.
The members are: Chief Ebenezer Alabi (chairman); Barr. Zealiwe Edmund (secretary); EhimekpenOkharedia, Mrs. Melody EkunneOsagie, Blessing Agbabaku, Negerese Berry, Hon Daniel OhioleAsekhame and Mr.DanOmozokpai as members.
The Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee, in a swift reaction, asked the Edo state chapter of the party to ignore the suspension order.
The faction said the procedures for taking such far reaching decisions are prescribed in the constitution of the party, so it is the organ so empowered to take it.
The faction said “It is no longer news that the Ali Modu Sheriff led National Working Committee and indeed all national officers were removed by the party’s convention, which is the highest decision making organ of the party,” it added in a statement by spokesman for the committee, Prince AdedayoAdeyeye.
“This purported suspension is clearly part of the desperation of Senator Sheriff and his paymasters to orchestrate confusion that would lead to the failure of the party in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo State; an election that the party is otherwise very well placed to win.
