A Federal High Court Abuja presided over by Justice Valentine Ashi has come to the rescue of Nigeria’s troubled former ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), by sacking factional National Chairman Ali Modu Sheriff.

The court this afternoon nullified the 2014 PDP Constitution Amendment upon which Sheriff was appointed PDP Interim Chairman.

The court described the amendment as illegal and a violation of the Electoral Act and declared all actions carried out with it, including anybody parading as an officer of PDP, to be illegal.

It was a double blow for Sheriff, as men of the Nigeria Police Force had earlier in the day cordoned off the entrance to Stadium Road by Akenzua Junction in Benin City with vehicles and ensured that the gates to the stadium were locked.

Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium had been the scheduled venue for the planned Edo governorship primary of Modu Sheriff-led faction of PDP.

Mathew Iduoriyekemwen and Rep. Johnson Agbonayinma are the two aspirants for the governorship ticket.

Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr Chris Eziken said, “I am not INEC. It is too early to find out if the primary will hold or not. You can call me back in the afternoon to find out.”

Asked if INEC would witness the exercise, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr Sam Olumekun, said only the national headquarters could comment on the matter.

A member of the Caretaker Committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the primary would be held as scheduled but that they were looking for another venue.

The Ahmed Markafi-led PDP faction held its primary on June 20 at the same venue which produced Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as its candidate.

Ize-Iyamu defeated Iduoriyekemwen and Chief Solomon Edebiri at the primary, but Iduoriyekemwen later joined the Modu Sheriff faction after he faulted the process of the primary.

•Additional reports from NAN. Photo shows Modu Sheriff.

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