An Abuja High court has removed former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu-Sheriff, as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, declaring the process that led to his election as null and void.

Justice Valentine Ashi held that Sheriff’s emergence as the party’s national chairman was illegal because it was based on an amended provision of the Party’s constitution which was illegally introduced in 2014.

In his ruling on Wednesday, Justice Ashi said the amendment was a violation of the Electoral Act and the actions of the PDP leaders who partook in it, illegal.

Though no mention was made of Modu-Sheriff’s name, the court ordered that all persons who became national officers of the party by virtue of the amendment should restrain from further parading themselves as such.

The ongoing crisis in the PDP had split the party in two with Modu-Sheriff heading one faction while Ahmed Makarfi, former Kaduna State governor, heads the other.

Makarfi was appointed chairman of a caretaker committee, backed by the party’s governors and national lawmakers.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it awaits another court judgment expected to be delivered by a Port Harcourt high court on July 4, in order to decide which of the PDP factions to recognize.