The panel also held that all actions taken by the state leadership of the party under Poroye was null and void. The height of the judgment hinged on the recognition of Eyitayo Jegede as the authentic candidate of the party in the Ondo State Nov.26, 2016 governorship election. The decision automatically knocked-off Jimoh Ibrahim as the favoured governorship candidate of the party. Dissatisfied with the decision, Poroye, an ally of Mr. Ibrahim, approached the court seeking leave to enable him challenge the judgment in the Supreme Court. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Ali Sheriff faction of PDP also obtained the permission of the court to appeal the decision. Mr. Poroye had insisted that Mr. Sheriff remained the only authentic National Chairman of the party. The panel has yet to decide on the issue of the national leadership of the party. The Ahmed Makarfi-led national leadership of the party had appealed Justice Okon Abang’s judgment which upheld Mr. Sheriff as the National Chairman of the party. NAN reports that the panel said it would be guided by the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division fixed for February17 on similar matter. The Sheriff-faction had dragged the Ahmed Makarfi-led committee to the division of that appellate court. The Makarfi-led committee was appointed by the National Working Committee (NEC) of the party to oversee the machinery of the party until such a time that the crises within the party were resolved. (NAN)]]>