The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has enjoined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faithful not to be anxious over the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, on the lingering party leadership tussle.
He stated this on Friday, while reacting to the Court judgment in a statement by Uche Anichukwu, his media aide.
The Ahmed Makarfi-led PDP caretaker committee, lost out on Thursday, February 15 in its contest for the leadership of the party, as the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, held that Ali Modu Sheriff is the National Chairman of the party.
Ekweremadu said: “There is no cause for alarm. The party leadership will meet as soon as possible to take a decision on the best way forward.
“I enjoin party faithful to remain steadfast as we will surely emerge stronger from the present challenges. Those dreaming about the death of the opposition in Nigeria will have to sleep much longer, and still wake up to meet us much stronger because a vibrant opposition is the beauty of democracy”.
A three-man panel of judges, which decided the case in a unanimous decision upturned the verdict of Mohammed Liman, of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, which had sacked Sheriff, following the controversy that erupted in the party prior to the primaries, late last year.
This puts paid to the contest for the leadership of the party, which has subsisted since some PDP chieftains, led by Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayo Fayose, sacked Sheriff and appointed a caretaker committee, with Makarfi, as chairman.
A similar case at the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, filed by the committee against the ruling of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which similarly sacked the Makarfi team, could not go on, as the appellate court was inclined to allow the Port Harcourt contest be determined first.