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Anxiety As Appeal Court Decides PDP’s Fate, Today

Published

9 years ago

February 17, 2017

The Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt is due to deliver its judgment today, which will lay the lingering Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national leadership tussle to rest. The tussle is between two factions, led by former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi and former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff .
As the Appeal court is set to deliver judgment today, there is tension as to which of the warring factions the ruling would favour.
Two separate Federal High Courts in Abuja and Port- Harcourt of the same coordinate jurisdiction had given conflicting judgments regarding who the authentic chairman of the party is. While Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja ruled that Sheriff was the authentic national chairman, the Federal High Court in Port -Harcourt ruled that Makarfi was the rightful chairman.
But on December 16, 2016, the Appeal Court in Abuja adjourned indefinitely a separate hearing in the leadership tussle. It did it to await the outcome of a related case pending before the Port-Harcourt Division of the Court. The adjournment was sequel to a motion filed by the Sheriff faction which urged it to temporarily hands off the suit filed by the Makarfi’s faction.
For a party that had ruled for over 16 years, PDP has had its fair share of prolonged internal crisis, but the ongoing leadership tussle between the Makarfi-led national caretaker committee and Sheriff’s faction of the party is one, observers say may be the final nail on the coffin of the party. Since the last convention, held on May 21, 2016, in Port- Harcourt, the party has been polarised into two camps, with each faction proclaiming itself as the authentic one.
The Makarfi caretaker committee is a creation of the national convention, the highest organ of the party, and the other is led by Sheriff whose national working committee was dissolved in Port- Harcourt. But Sheriff believes that the purported dissolution did not follow due process.
Critical observers argue that even though majority of the stakeholders in the embattled party including members of the Board of Trustees(BOT), all current governors and virtually all members of the National Assembly are with the Markafi’s faction, Sheriff is confident that legally, there is still a window for him to determine how and when the crisis will end.
The party’s legal quagmire began at the Federal High Court in Lagos where Sheriff, Alhaji Fatai Adeyanju and Prof. Wale Oladipo, as plaintiffs prayed the court for an interlocutory injunction restraining the PDP from conducting any election to the offices of the national chairman, national secretary and national auditor, which they occupied, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit. This was before the national convention which was slated to hold on May 21, 2015.
The trial judge, Ibrahim Buba, granted their prayers, but the planned convention went ahead with Sheriff in attendance.
Notwithstanding protests from other prominent party members against his emergence as acting chairman, Sheriff, who was initially backed by the PDP Governors’ Forum, a powerful bloc within the party, ironically, sanctioned the May 21, 2016 convention with optimism about his possible confirmation for another two years.
But that did not happen. Instead, the stakeholders wanted Sheriff to step aside. But he saw it as an ambush. And he quickly called off the convention. But others went ahead, and it was the convention that produced Makarfi.
Twenty-four hours after the national convention, precisely on Sunday, May 22, 2016, heavily armed policemen took over the national headquarters of the PDP when news filtered in that Sheriff and his supporters would storm the place to continue to lay claim to the office. Five police vehicles, comprising two trucks and two pick up vans blocked access on both ends of the street directly in front of the secretariat. The Makarfi faction did not occupy the PDP facility for long as Sheriff and his supporters later forced themselves into the national secretariat, making the caretaker committee and his group to move temporarily to a hotel.
On May 23, Sheriff filed a motion on notice in the Federal High Court, Lagos, for the purpose of setting aside the national convention of the party held on May 21 where he hoped to emerge as chairman. On May 24, counsel to Sherriff and other plaintiffs, Mr. R. A. Oluyede, told the court that the PDP had flouted the order dated May 12, 2016, as it had gone ahead to conduct elections into the offices of: national chairman, national secretary and national auditor. Thereafter, Justice Buba declared the caretaker committee illegal.
But the caretaker committee insisted that elections were not conducted during the convention and that it did not fill the three posts in line with the court orders, as there was no order against setting up a caretaker committee. While Buba in Lagos affirmed the interim chairmanship of Sheriff, another Federal High Court sitting in Port- Harcourt ordered him and the NWC to stop parading themselves as leaders of the party.
On June 29, Justice Valentiine Ashi of Court 29 Abuja, nullified the 2014 amendment of the PDP constitution on the grounds that it did not comply with Section 66(2)(3) of its constitution, by not serving the National Secretary with a written copy of the proposed amendment two months before the convention, which the Secretary was also required to circulate among secretaries of the party a month before the convention. Ironically, it was the same provision; the party had relied on to appoint Sheriff, as chairman, in the first instance.
Article 47, paragraph 6 of the amended constitution states: “in case of any vacancy, the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) can appoint an Acting Chairman from the area or zone where the last occupant of the office comes from, pending when election is conducted, to reflect that where there is vacancy, the acting chairman shall serve the tenure of the officer who left before the expiration of the tenure.”
This ruling was a major blow to Sheriff whose emergence in the first place was predicated on the 2014 amended constitution of the party. But Sheriff rejected the ruling, stating that he had not yet joined the party when the amendment was made, and as such, does not affect his position as chairman.
The legal conundrum continued when on July 28, a Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja nullified the Markafi-led caretaker committee. Justice Okon Abang, who ruled in Sheriff’s favour, held that the convention held on May 21, 2016, was a nullity.
Delivering his ruling, he said: “the Lagos Division made orders on May 12 and 20, forbidding the PDP from removing the Sheriff-led Caretaker Committee. That order is still subsisting. The convention was unlawfully held and the Caretaker Committee was unlawfully and illegally appointed and could not take any legal decision for the PDP in view of the subsisting order of the Lagos Division of this court. If the Markafi-led Caretaker Committee, as apostles of impunity, missed their way to the Port- Harcourt division of this court, that court could not have conveniently assumed jurisdiction to set aside the earlier decision of the Lagos Division. I hold that the Port Harcourt division of this court cannot make an order to neutralise the potency of the Lagos Division of this court dated 12 and 20 May”.
On August 17, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja reaffirmed Sheriff’s removal. The court, which was presided over by Justice Nwamaka Ogbonnaya, reaffirmed the sack on the ground that the judgment of Justice Ashi, which nullified his appointment on June 29, has not been set aside or vacated and was therefore subsisting.
Before the national convention which held on May 21, where Makarfi was appointed Care-taker chairman, Sheriff had planned to reduce the influence of the BoT members, many of who were opposed to his emergence. In order to achieve that, Sheriff began moves to checkmate that organ of the party, by proposing an amendment to the party’s constitution, where he added a clause that the body would need to consult him before it could call for any meeting.
According to the party’s constitution, the BoT, of which the national chairman is a member, does not need only the chairman’s permission to hold its meeting. It is a statutory organ of the party with powers to act as its conscience, and it needed two-third of its members to agree for a meeting to be called. But in the proposed amendment, which was meant to be discussed at the meeting of the party’s NEC which took place before May 21, Sheriff wanted a clause to be added to the constitution, so that he would have to be the only one who would be consulted before the BoT of the party could meet.
Whichever way the pendulum swings, there is the likelihood of the aggrieved party proceeding to the apex court.
If that happens, it means the party crisis is far from being over.

Featured

PANDEF Hails Tinubu For Lifting Emergency Rule In Rivers

Published

1 day ago

September 19, 2025

The Tide

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has hailed the lifting of the State of Emergency in Rivers State, effective midnight, Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

In a statement signed by Board members and National Executive Committee members, yesterday, PANDEF commended President Bola Tinubu for rectifying what they described as an anomaly.

The statement was co-signed by Co-Chairmen, PANDEF Board of Trustees, Alfred Diette-Spiff and Obong Victor Attah, National Chairman Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, and National Secretary, Beks Dagogo-Jack.

Tinubu declared a State of Emergency in Rivers State on the 18th of March, 2025, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Deputy Governor, and members of the state House of Assembly for six months in the first instance.

In place of the governor, the President appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) as Sole Administrator.

However, Tinubu announced the suspension of the Emergency Rule on Wednesday, stating, “It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State shall end with effect from midnight today (Wednesday).”

The Forum commended Fubara’s unwavering perseverance and “faith in the divine will of Almighty God,” while also commending the Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Odu, the Speaker, and members of the House of Assembly, who were equally affected by the suspension.

“The Board and National Executive Committee of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, the apex socio-political organisation representing the South-South geopolitical zone, joins millions of Nigerians in welcoming the lifting of the state of emergency in Rivers State, effective midnight, Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

“While PANDEF had expressed strong reservations regarding the erstwhile emergency rule, we commend His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for taking this bold step to rectify the anomaly.

“We welcome Governor Siminalayi Fubara back to his elected office and salute his unwavering perseverance and faith in the divine will of Almighty God. We extend similar commendations to the Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Oduah, the Speaker, and members of the House of Assembly, who were equally affected by the suspension,” the statement read.

Addressing Rivers people, the forum declared, “Light has returned to the state and a new glorious dawn has come. A moment in which the bitter pains of the past months will inspire all to rededicate themselves to true mutual forbearance, new alignments and forward movement.”

They urged political leaders and citizens to put the past behind them and work towards the collective good of the State, while pledging to support Rivers’ developmental trajectory under Fubara.

“All hearts and hands must therefore be joined together to put the past behind us and work towards the collective good of the state.

“We look forward to the State’s return to normalcy and the resumption of its developmental trajectory under the leadership of Governor Fubara and his team. PANDEF reiterates its commitment to supporting the government and people of Rivers State in their pursuit of progress and development,” the statement added.

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RSG Approves Full Rehabilitation of State Secretariat …Unveils Housing Scheme for Civil Servants, Honours Veterans

Published

1 week ago

September 12, 2025

The Tide

Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Eteh Ibas (Rtd), has approved the complete rehabilitation and modernization of the Rivers State Secretariat Complex to enhance efficiency and productivity in the civil service.

Ibas made the announcement at the 2025 Civil Service Week Gala and Awards Ceremony held at Banquet Hall, Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday,.

He disclosed that “initiative is designed to transform the secretariat into a modern, efficient and conducive work environment, directly supporting the civil servants who form the backbone of the state’s governance.”

The Administrator also approved the provision of 106 housing units for civil servants in the State.

Ibas paid glowing tribute to retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries, describing them as the bedrock of the state’s administration.

He stated that the awards ceremony was a symbol of deep appreciation for decades of sacrifice, resilience, and commitment.

“These interventions are designed to not only recognize your service, but also to improve your welfare in tangible and lasting ways,” the Administrator stated.

“We must build an administration that is efficient, effective, and truly citizen-centric,” he added.

The Administrator urged serving officers to draw inspiration from their predecessors and strive to make a meaningful impact in the lives of citizens.

He emphasized the importance of embracing innovation, technology, and continuous training to build a civil service equipped for the future.

The Acting Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr. (Mrs.) Inyingi Brown, in her welcome address, described the civil service as the “engine room of government” and expressed profound gratitude to the Administrator for his unwavering support and commitment to its modernization.“

“A society that does not honour its heroes is not worthy of emulation,” Dr. Brown remarked, lauding the retirees as torchbearers of discipline and loyalty.

She pledged to build on their legacy through reforms and innovation, projecting that the Rivers State Civil Service would become a model of efficiency and transparency by 2030.

Speaking on behalf of the retirees, President of the Association of Retired Permanent Secretaries, Sir Promise Njowhor,

expressed heartfelt appreciation for the historic recognition.

“For once, since the creation of the State, we are being honoured,” Njowhor said, adding, “Our morale has been lifted.”

He pledged the association’s continuous support for government programmes, describing the body of experienced retirees as a resource available to contribute to state development.

The rehabilitation of the State Secretariat and the new housing scheme represent a major investment in the infrastructure and dignity of public service in Rivers State, signaling a new era of support for the civil servants who drive the government’s policies and programmes.

The Tide reports that the Administrator also conferred awards of meritorious service on retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries in the State

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Rivers LG Poll: APC Wins 20 chairmanship seats, PDP Clears Three

Published

3 weeks ago

September 1, 2025

The Tide

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won 20 out of the 23 local government areas in the just concluded local government election in the State, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clinched three local governments.

According to the results released by the Rivers State independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), yesterday, the APC won the chairmanship seats in Abua/Odual, Andoni, Opobo Nkoro, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Okrika, Ogu/Bolo and Khana local government areas.

APC also won in Gokana, Tai, Oyigbo, Bonny, Eleme, Etche, Omuna, Akuku Toru, Asari Toru, Degema, Ikwerre and Emohua local government areas.

The Commission, however, said the PDP won in Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, and Ogba Egbema Ndoni local government areas.

Chairman of the Commission, Dr Michael Odey, who announced the results at the Commission headquarters in Port Harcourt, said Ofori Owolabi of the APC scored 28,755 votes to emerge winner of the election for Abua Odual while Solomon Ochomma, also of the APC, emerged chairman elect for Ahoada East after scoring 54,509 votes.

Odey said Eugene Epelle also of the APC scored 84,125 votes to emerge winner in Ahoada West, while Bob Fubara was elected the chairman-elect for Akuku Toru after scoring 63,593 votes.

Similarly APC chairmanship candidate Lucky Otuo Promise emerged chairman-elect for Andoni after scoring a total of 126,181 votes, APC’s George Onengiyeofori emerged winner in Asari Toru after scoring 56,383 votes, while Pepple Blessing Abinye garnered 13,543 votes to emerge winner in Bonny Local Government Area.

Other APC candidates elected include Michael John Williams who scored 16,536 votes to emerge chairman-elect for Degema Local Government; Obarlllormate Ollor (77,452) for Eleme; Dr Chidi Julius Lloyd (114,380) for Emohua; Njoku Boniface (100,649) for Etche; Confidence Deekor (96,478) for Gokana, while Wobodo Charles got 62,746 votes to emerge winner in Ikwerre Local Government Area.

Other APC winners from the APC include Akuro Tobins (32,285 votes) for Okrika; Hon Obasi Uchechukwu (38,530) for Omuma; James A James (38,822) for Opobo Nkoro; Vincent Nemieboka (36,374) for Ogu/Bolo; Hon Mbakpone Okpe (70,080) for Tai LGA, while in Oyigbo, Okechukwu Akara scored 101,495 votes to emerge winner.

Meanwhile, the RSIEC chairman announced Dr Gift Worlu of the PDP with 328,823 votes to emerge winner in Obio Akpor; Shedrack Ogbogu, also of the PDP, scored 51,051 votes for Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area, while in Port Harcourt City, Sir Alwell Ihunda garnered 235,054 votes for PDP to emerge winner.

The APC also cleared the councillorship seats in Abua/Odual, Andoni, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Okrika, Ogu/Bolo and Khana, Oyigbo, Bonny, Eleme, Etche,Tai, Khana Opobo/Nkoro and Degema local government areas.

Similarly APC councillorship candidates also emerged winners in Asari Toru, Degema, Akuku Toru, Gokana and Khana while PDP cleared the councillorship seats in Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt city, and Ogba Egbema/ Ndoni Local Government Areas

Meanwhile, the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions has passed a vote of confidence on the just concluded local government election in the State.

National Chairman of the forum, Hon. Mamman Nda Eri, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt.

Eri said all the chairmen across the country were in Port Harcourt to monitor the election as well as gain experience in an election under emergency rule.

John Bibor & King Onunwor