Monday’s governorship primary of Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) in Edo State has been declared illegal by the factional National Chairman
of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. He dismissed the election as the
handiwork of an illegal care-taker committee.
The faction of the party led by a former Governor of Kaduna
State, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, conducted the primary, which produced Pastor
Ize-Iyamu as the candidate.
Makarfi is the chairman of the party's caretaker committee
put together by PDP governors at the convention held in Port Harcourt on May
21.
Sheriff had called off the convention but the governors
disregarded his action.
In a statement on Tuesday, Sheriff urged
members of the party nationwide, especially in Edo State, to disregard the
primary.
A letter addressed to the Chairman of Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), signed by Mr. Sheriff and the National Secretary
of his faction, Prof. Wale Oladipo, urged the electoral commission not to give
legitimacy to what happened in Edo State.
The party said that the party would conduct a “proper
primary” in the state.
In another statement, the faction said a scheduled congress
in Edo State would hold between June 23rd and June 29th, with the inauguration
of Congress Committee scheduled for the first of those dates.
Sheriff warned state chairmen and officers of the
party to desist from meeting or having anything to do with what he called the
illegal caretaker committee, warning that anybody dealing with them is on his
own.
In yet another statement, the faction announced the
appointment, in an acting capacity, of some deputy national officers as members
of the National Working Committee.
It said it was acting following the resignation of five
members of the NWC and 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.
The newly appointed officers are:
1. Mr. Okey Nnadozie – Acting National Organizing
Secretary
2. Mr. Alonge-Niyi Dennis – Acting National Youth Leader
3. Mrs. Hannatu Ullam – Acting National Women Leader
4. Barrister Bashir Maidugu – Acting National Legal Adviser.
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