The embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Sen Ali Modu Sheriff on Monday said his office would not be vacant until 2019. Sheriff also revealed how he was begged to accept the Chairmanship role of the party.

Addressing reporters at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja, the former Senator explained that he was never interested in becoming the national leader of the party.

According to Sheriff, the National Working Committee, NWC, and the party’s caucus begged him to lead the party when they realised what he could do.

Sheriff said, “I was begged by the NWC, the party Caucus, the governors all of them to become the chairman of the party when they realised what I can do. I never wanted to be the chairman of the party. If Makarfi wants to lead, he should wait for the National Convention and if selected by the party, then he can take over.

“At a point, there was a contention and the matter was put to vote, I emerged victorious after claiming the highest vote.”

Explaining why he suspended the National Convention of the party in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the embattled Chairman said he got court orders restraining the party from going ahead with the convention, adding that the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, also wrote him a letter saying they will not conduct elections into three key offices of the party, which include; the office of the National Chairman, National Auditor and National Secretary.

“We put off the Port Harcourt convention on hold because the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos said the office of the National Chairman of PDP was not vacant until 2019, also an Abuja High Court gave a ruling that the office of the National Chairman will not be vacant till 2019.”

“Even the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, wrote me a letter that they will not conduct any election into the office of the National Chairman, National Auditor and National Secretary of the party.”

He maintained that the Party’s constitution stipulates that the National Chairman should head the National Convention of the party.

Sheriff further insisted that he remains the authentic Chairman of the party, stressing that his office is not vacant till 2019.

“I remain the authentic Chairman of the party till 2019 unless the court of law says otherwise,” Sheriff said.

On being refused access into the party’s secretariat by law enforcement officers, Sheriff said, “When the police stopped me from entering my office, I went to the IGP to complain and he told me that he was not trying to stop but to protect me. I insisted that nobody will harm me and he ordered his boys to allow me access into the secretariat.”

The former Senator, however, averred that his leadership was opened to dialogue with all aggrieved factions and will do all it can to carry everybody along.