Supreme Court clears air for Makarfi, sacks Sherrif, Jimoh Ibrahim
The Supreme Court on Thursday buried whatever that remained of the Ali Modu Sherrif faction of the PDP when it recognised Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic leader of the party. The apex court referred all pending cases relating to the dispute over the leadership tussle between the two factions of the Peoples Democratic Party to the Appeal Court.
By the judgment of the Supreme Court, all that Sherrif represents in the PDP including the candidacy of Jimoh Ibrahim, who appealed yesterday’s ruling of the Appeal Court, have been rendered null and void.
The five-man panel of the Supreme court led by the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onoghen, also, in a separate unanimous ruling, struck out all pending appeals relating to the candidacy of the PDP for the Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo State, thus clearing the way fully for Eyitayo Jegede.
Justice Onnoghen, while reading the lead ruling, held that the pending appeals before the apex court had become mere academic ritual in view of the judgment of the Justice Ibrahim Saulawa-led panel of the Court of Appeal delivered Wednesday in Abuja in which Eyitayo Jegede was returned as the PDP governorship candidate.