A former Governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff, was Tuesday named acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He replaces former Governor of Bauchi State, Adamu Mu’azu who resigned his position as chairman shortly after the party lost the 2015 general elections.
PDP was Nigeria’s ruling party from 1999 to 2015.
Sheriff joined the party in July 2014 after defecting from the then All Progressives Congress (APC).
Addressing journalists at the PDP Wadata Plaza secretariat in Abuja, spokesperson, Olisa Metuh, said all organs of the party including the national caucus, governors’ forum and the national assembly caucuses agreed on the choice of Sheriff as chairman.
Metuh said the decision will be communicated to the Board of Trustees and subsequently, the National Executive Committee (NEC) for ratification before a formal announcement is made.
Born in Ngala Town, Ngala Local Government Area, Borno State in 1956, Sheriff was governor of Borno from May 29 2003 to May 29 2011.
He was elected on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), becoming the first governor in Borno to win the seat two consecutive times.
The seed of the Boko Haram insurgency was planted during his administration with the deadly sect making Maiduguri its spiritual home.
Australian hostage negotiator, Steven Davies, and others have fingered him as one of the group’s sponsor.
He denies the allegation.
