PDP Crisis: Sheriff seeks probe of Port Harcourt judges

As reactions trail the conflicting pronouncements of the Port Harcourt and Abuja Federal High Courts, the former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ali Modu Sheriff has called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria Mahmud Mohammed to probe the judges of the Port Harcourt Federal High Court

He called for the removal of erring judges at the high courts, whom he accused of tarnishing the image of the judiciary.

A visibly angry Sheriff wondered why
Ibrahim Watila of the Federal High Court Port Harcourt converted an exparte motion to interloculory order.

The former national chairman who still claims to be the authentic boss of the opposition party, called for the investigation of vacation judge, Ibrahim Watila and Mohammed Liman, the most senior administrative judge at the Port Harcourt Division.

Recall that on Monday, a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, presided over by Watila ordered security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide security and monitor the national convention scheduled to hold today in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The party has been enmeshed in leadership crisis since May 21 this year when the national convention in Port Harcourt appointed a seven-man national caretaker committee chaired by Ahmed Makarfi to pilot the affairs of the party in the next three months.

But in a chat with journalists on Tuesday, Sheriff described the interlocutory order as a ‘hoax’, adding that the interim order granted same day by Justice Okon Abang of the Abuja High Court, which stopped the convention is legally binding on the Makarfi group.

According to the PDP chieftain, whatever court action obtained by the Makarfi group is illegal, unacceptable, null and void.

“We are calling on the chief judge of the nation to look into Port Harcourt Division of this judiciary. Otherwise, they will bring anarchy into this country.

“I will not recognise any of these gatherings. I will pursue the Rule of Law until justice is done. This party is for Nigerians. I am ready today, tomorrow if justice will be done, if elections are conducted in Abuja. People are allowed to choose who they want as leaders, I’ll be prepared to hand over to that person. But unless and until we do that I have the right, I have been elected by the NEC for specific period of time. That period will not finish until 2018. But I’m ready to go tomorrow. But let this party not be taken over by one person. We cannot allow it”, he said.

While accusing Liman of corruption, he said the interlocutory order in Port Harcourt has confirmed the fears of President Muhammadu Buhari when he said the judiciary was his ‘main headache’.

Said Sheriff: “We are joining all other Nigerians to call on the Judicial Service Commission to call on the chief justice of the federation and the chief judge of Federal High Court to remove these bad elements in the judiciary, otherwise we will have problem”.

He, however, absolved judges of the Supreme Court and Appeal Court, describing them as ‘first class’ and ‘second to none’. He added: “All the problems of Nigeria are (ca