The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt has declared former governor of Borno state, Ali Sheriff, as the authentic national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
In a unanimous judgment, the three judges agreed that Mr Sheriff is the chairman of the PDP.
In September last year, the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of PDP and a faction of the party led by Ali Modu Sheriff met in Abuja where they agreed to resolve their differences.
The caretaker committee was led to the meeting by its National Secretary, Ben Obi, while Cairo Ojougbo, the deputy national chairman of the Sheriff faction, led its members.
But despite the truce, Mr Sheriff did not withdraw his appeal, following a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt order that gave legitimacy to Mr Makarfi as the chairman of the party.
In a controversial judgement, another court of coordinate jurisdiction in Abuja, headed by Justice Okon Abang, had ruled that Sheriff should be recognised as the chairman.
Both Messrs Makarfi and Sheriff have been operating from satellite offices, following the closure of the national headquarters of the party, at Wadata Plaza in Abuja.
