Factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff has appointed the party’s former Vice Chairman (South-South), Dr. Cairo Ojougboh as the faction’s Deputy National Chairman.
This is coming just as another set of “chairmen” of state chapters yesterday endorsed Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff as the party’s “authentic” National Chairman.
Ojougboh was one of the party’s mainstream national officials that were removed at the party’s May 21 botched convention in Port Harvourt.
Ojougboh’s letter of appointment was jointly signed by Sheriff and the faction’s National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo.
The letter reads, “Please, be informed that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party in a meeting held on the 28th of June 2016, and having received nomination from the Concerned PDP stakeholders (Abuja Convention Group) and major stakeholders in the South-south has appointed you as the Acting Deputy National Chairman of the party pending the conduct of election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of the erstwhile Deputy National Chairman. This appointment takes immediate effect”.
The Sheriff and Oladipo, through the letter, urged Ojougboh to discharged his functions with dedication to ensure the progress of the party.
Only on Monday, a set of state chairmen endorsed the Chairman of the Caretaker committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the only recognised chair of the party.
While the pro Makarfi state chairmen based their endorsement of Makarfi on the decision of the botched May 21 Port Harcourt convention, the pro Sheriff set hinged their position on a ruling of a Lagos High Court which restrained the party from electing a replacement for Sheriff.
Expressing appreciation for the visit by the state chairmen, Sheriff declared that the set of state chairmen that pledged loyalty to Makarfi was not the authentic chairmen.
According to him, the party had yet to elect chairmen in 23 of the 36 states of the federation, adding that his mission was not to destroy the party but to rebuild it.
Sheriff expressed willingness to resign his position as chairman if the court ruled against him, saying however that he would never succumb to pressure by the party’s governors to quit.
Among the pro Sheriff chairmen in the delegation were the ones for Ondo, Imo, Ogun, Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
The delegation later passed a vote of confidence in Sheriff.