Sheriff Finally Vacates PDP Secretariat, Plans to Return to Forcibly Enter

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The sacked former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has finally left the PDP headquarters after addressing journalists.
Before leaving the infuriated Sheriff threatened to come back and to possibly force his way into the place.

No one, not even the staff of the PDP, was allowed entry after fierce-looking security men who were being assisted by the men of the Civil Defence blocked the embattled ex-chairman from entering the party’s secretariat.
Sheriff said he was still making frantic efforts to reach the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase, concerning the action of the law enforcement agents.

He however left his supporters behind, drumming, dancing and displaying placards at the front of the secretariat.
Sheriff’s convoy had managed to reach the main gate before the police stopped him.
Speaking with journalists, he lamented the police action in view of the fact that the court had ordered the Inspector General of Police to provide him with adequate security while resuming office .

According to him, “The party belongs to Nigerians and not the Nigeria Police or the people that were hand-picked at Port-Harcourt by Gov. Wike and his cohorts as the man who is purported to be acting as the National Chairman of the party. One thing remains, there was no convention in Port-Harcourt because I cancelled it.
“I don’t know why the police can say we cannot enter our offices when we have a valid court order to that effect. We will take this matter beyond the Nigeria Police. The law will take its course in this matter.

“When you are talking of a caretaker committee assuming office here last week, the caretaker committee was not known to the constitution of the party while the Board of Trustees, BOT, is only an advisory body in the party. So none of them has the power to be running the affairs of our party. Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee has no role here. It is an illegal body in the eyes of the law.”