The Supreme Court on Monday has dismissed an application by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ali Modu Sheriff, seeking to stop the party’s factional leader, Ahmed Makarfi from appealing his recent Port Harcourt Appeal Court victory.
A Port Harcourt Appeal Court had in February affirmed Sheriff as the authentic Chairman of the factionalised PDP, and consequently sacked the Makarfi-led committee.
But upon filing an appeal to the Supreme Court over the ruling by the Makarfi committee, Sheriff rushed to the Supreme Court asking the apex court to stop the appeal by the committee.
In its ruling today, Wallter Onnoghen-led court granted the appeal filed by the sacked Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party, Ahmed Makarfi on behalf of PDP.
The five-member panel said the application by Mr. Makarfi was considered valid since it complied with the rules of the Supreme Court.
Mr Onnoghen said based on the Supreme Court rules, an application challenging a decision of a lower court ought to have come within three months after the ruling of the lower court.
He said the apex court had taken note of the fact that the case was decided at the lower court in February, while the motion at the Supreme Court was filed less than three months after the ruling by the lower court.
