Sheriff hints at plot to compromise Supreme Court; Makarfi group says it is blackmail

** Sheriff has proved he is interested in 2019 presidential election – Dayo Adeyeye
The rumbling in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  tilted slightly to smearing the Supreme Court Tuesday with a suggestion by the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s National Working Committee that elements of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi were already gloating over victory at the apex court.
But in a reaction to everyday.ng, after he addressed the press, the spokesman for Makarfi’s National Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye said in an sms, “they are blackmailing the Supreme Court the way they blackmailed the Court of Appeal in the Ondo Governorship case last year when they wrote baseless petitions against theJjustice Sankey panel which was forced to recuse itself.
“They did the same against the second panel for which the Supreme Court awarded costs of over N20m against them and their lawyers.”
In press briefing tagged  THE PORT HARCOURT APPEAL COURT JUDGMENT: A VICTORY FOR THE JUDICIARY AND ANTI-CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA on behalf of Sheriff, his deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh,who spoke for the National Chairman, told journalists that the victory of the Judiciary was two-pronged because the alleged attempt by the Makarfi group to “replicate the plethora of judgments at the lower Court” was thwarted by the Court of Appeal.
He recalled that at a reconciliation meeting, the same group suggested that the reconciliation effort of the leaders be put in abeyance to await the judgment of the Court of Appeal which would be final
He said further: “Few days after that announcement, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi and his group started parading a judgment they claimed was the judgment of the Court of Appeal. And again, on the night of 26th February, 2017 and eve of the Appeal Court judgment, Sen. Makarfi and his group held a party in the Government House of one of the states in the South-south to celebrate their purported victory at the Court of Appeal to be read the following day, the 27th of February, 2017.
“It was later discovered that the judgment was written by an Attorney General of one of the states of the South-south and it was claimed that was the judgment that will be read on the 27th of February, 2017. But that was not to be.
“It is at this juncture that the Party stands firmly to praise and appreciate the Court of Appeal for refusing to be induced in whatever manner and standing up truly to its name. It is therefore, our belief that the Party, PDP have found a true voice, a partner in our fight against impunity, not only within the PDP but indeed the entire nation.
“The Judiciary has risen stoutly above corruption and nepotism. It refused blatantly to adopt the adulterated judgment which ended up as a minority judgment. For those gallant incorruptible judges to shun mouth watering offers and deliver a landmark judgment for posterity, we say kudos.”
While commending the Supreme Court headed by Justice Walter Onnoghen, Sheriff noted that the opposing group has “resorted to boasting that they are in control of the Supreme Court and that the judgment rejected by the Court of Appeal will be adopted by the Supreme Court” adding that the  “same judgment that they paraded as the Court of Appeal judgment is what they have now claimed that the Supreme Court will uphold for them.”
“We make bold,” Sheriff’s deputy added, “to say nobody can buy the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court cannot be bought, and that the Party has implicit confidence in the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Samuel Walter Onnoghen and his colleagues in the Supreme Court.
“We, therefore, advice Sen. Makarfi and his co-travelers that their wishful judgment which they are parading will remain in the thrash can while the Party is moving forward and preparing for its National Convention.”
However, in his press briefing, Adeyeye called on Nigerians to note the confessions made Monday by Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff who he claimed was brazenly holding the PDP to ransom.
“Yesterday, while addressing newsmen, as he continues to illegally occupy our Party Secretariat with the backings of the APC Government,  the former Borno State Governor clearly stated that he’s interested in contesting the 2019 Presidential Elections using the platform of our Party, the PDP….
” For the records, he was asked if he would contest the 2019 Presidential Election and he responded “….I only told you I wouldn’t run for chairman at the convention. The rest we will leave it for God to decide. ”
“What a clever way to announce his presidential ambition!”
The National Caretaker Committee, he said, had raised the concern that Senator Sheriff was not interested in conducting a Convention that will be in the interest of the Party but was planning a Convention that will put his cronies in critical party positions who will then rubber-stamp his candidacy for the 2019 Presidential Election comes.
He expressed worry that some important Party leaders could not see beyond the facade, tagging along with Senator Sheriff as he drags the Party through the mud in his bid at achieving his selfish ambition.
He added: “We hope perceptive minds in the Party can now see why it is extremely dangerous to trust Sheriff with the organization of any convention.
“We know quite well that a Sheriff as the presidential candidate of the PDP will be a real delight for the APC. That’s as good as having your sparring partner as your opponent in a major bout.
“We want to make a serious contention for power in 2019. We don’t want to field a candidate who is the captain of the second team of the Ruling Party.”