Days-old Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ali Modu Sheriff, is no doubt one of the luckiest politicians ever produced by Nigeria. Elected Governor twice and Senator thrice, the man simply parades an intimidating political profile.
Equally one of Nigeria’s richest politicians, the only position he may be eyeing next, according to what YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine was told, may be the presidency, having also risen to become the Chairman, Board of Trustees, All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, before berthing and taking over at the PDP Secretariat, as their new National Chairman.
Born in 1956 in Ngala, Borno State, Sheriff, accused severally of having links with the dreaded Boko Haram, is the son of Galadima and Aisha Modu Sheriff. He attended Ngala Primary School and Government Secondary School, Bama, from where he finished in 1979.
Then, a remedial programme at Borno College of Basic Studies followed. He left for the United Kingdom afterwards, where he studied Insurance, Banking & Finance at London School of Business Studies. Upon completing his studies, he joined his father’s thriving business in 1981 as a Director and in 1985 set up on his own.
He jumped into politics in 1990 as a member of the then Social Democratic Party, SDP. But not satisfied with what the party on whose ticket Late MKO Abiola won the cancelled June 12 election was offering, he dumped them for NRC ( National Republican Convention), and was first elected a Senator in 1992.
He moved to the UNCP from there and later ANPP. Under both political parties, he got elected two more times as the Senator representing Central Borno Senatorial District. And in 2003, he emerged the Executive Governor of Borno State.
Always in Babariga, with matching Shagari caps, Sherrif, alleged to own about three private jets, is married to Fatimah and they have four children.