BEVERLY HILLS, February 18, (THEWILL) – Senator representing Bayelsa East Senatorial district, Ben Murray Bruce has urged members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to move forward and support Ali Modu Sheriff instead of opposing him, maintaining that the bickering by party members is childish.

Bruce was reacting to the Appeal court’s ruling in Port Harcourt on Friday that recognized Ali Modu Sheriff as the authentic Chairman of the party saying he is not in support of any more litigations.

He urged his party members to throw in their weight on Sheriff, saying he too will support him because it is the only way the party could progress.

“Concerning the PDP, the current bickering is childish and irrelevant,” he declared.

“I am not in support of any more litigation. We will work with Ali Modu Sheriff and go to a convention.

“Right now, PDP is on a course towards destruction and abiding by the judgement of the court is the only thing that can save us.

“In the first place, it is never the job of the judiciary to choose the leader of a party. I therefore call an end to the fighting. And I am supporting Ali Modu Sheriff because it is the only way to preserve the party.

“Right now, what Nigeria has is a one-party state – there is no opposition.

“Enough is enough. This is the time for PDP to unite, we are a formidable force.”

Justice B.G Sanga delivered the judgment that sacked Makarfi on Friday but recognized Sheriff as the party’s Chairman.

THEWILL recalls that the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt on Friday nullified the PDP national convention in Port Harcourt that established the Ahmed Markafi-led committee and described the process that led to it as an abuse of the court process.

Two out of the three member-panel, Justice B.G Sanga and Justice A.B Gumel, in their judgment said the convention disobeyed the court order and the court would not close its eyes on such illegality.

They thus upheld the judgment of Justice Ibrahim Buba and set aside the judgment of Justice Muhammed Liman of Port Harcourt Federal High Court and awarded N100, 000 to Sheriff, to be borne by the nullified national caretaker committee’s Chairman, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Inspector-General of Police and Department of State Service (DSS).

The ruling has however been rejected by the Markafi faction, the PDP Governors forum and the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party.