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THE crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is deepening. Following the reopening of the national secretariat of the party by Ali Modu Sheriff, recognised national chairman, Ahmed Makarfi, head of the Caretaker Committee of the party, has warned that the party was heading for a bloody crisis.

The secretariat was sealed off by the police in June 2016 at the heat of the tussle between Sheriff and Makarfi for the control of the party.

However, acting on the strength of the judgment by the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal that affirmed Sheriff as national chairman, the police on Thursday, February 23, reopened the secretariat for Sheriff and his team.

Thus, Makarfi camp has warned reopening the secretariat for Sheriff could lead to a breakdown of law and order, adding that the police acted in bad faith by allowing Sheriff access to the facility.

At a media briefing in Abuja on Monday, February 27, Dayo Adeyeye, spokesman of the Makarfi camp, said the police chose to obey the law only when it favoured Sheriff.

Adeyeye lamented that the same police that refused to reopen the secretariat for the Makarfi camp when it won the same case against Sheriff at the federal high court, but now turned around to reopen the building for Sheriff for winning at the appellate court.

Apparently in sympathy for the Makarfi camp, the entire secretariat workers have also stayed away from the party office, in solidarity with the Makarfi group, which they insisted, remained the authentic leaders of the party.

Adeyeye said the Makarfi camp had already filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the Appeal Court judgment and such, the police ensure that the secretariat remained sealed until the Supreme Court delivers judgment on the matter.

“In the light of the above, we are calling on the police and the general public and lovers of peace and democracy to ask Senator Sheriff and co to respect the on-going litigation processes.”

—  Feb 27, 2017 @ 18:50 GMT

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