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Ex-President Jonathan ‘endorses’ Sheriff as PDP chairman?

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Former president Goodluck Jonathan may have unwittingly accepted Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as national chairman of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The former president who received Sheriff at his Abuja residence on Monday, referred to the factional leader of the party as ‘my chairman’.

Senators Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi-led National Working Committee have been in a legal battle over who should be the national chairman of the PDP.

After several conflicting judgements by different Federal High Courts in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja, a ruling of the Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt finally pronounced Sheriff as the party’s authentic chairman.

Read also: Patience Jonathan drags EFCC to Port Harcourt court in fresh suit

The ruling has however been rejected by the Makarfi-led faction of the party, which allegedly has the support of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and its Governors Forum.

However, when Senator Sheriff met with former President Goodluck Jonathan at his residence in Abuja, his host was said to have, regardless of the fact that Sheriff’s emergence is surrounded with a lot of controversies, referred to him as his chairman.

The meeting said to have held behind closed doors, was attended by Sheriff ’s Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh; Acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bernard Mikko, the National Youth Leader, Mr. Demis Alonge – Niyi among others.

The former president, it was learnt, had as soon as Sheriff was ushered into the sitting room, where Jonathan was seated, stretched his hands to him and said, “My chair.”

He was also said to have even after their closed – door meeting, still repeated himself and referred to Sheriff as “my chairman.”

Jonathan told newsmen after the meeting that the PDP remained one, insisting there was no faction in it.

He added, “We are solving our problems . There are bound to be differences in politics. It is the way we resolve these differences that makes us human beings and that is what makes us leaders.

“We are not factionalised, we are one. I have met with Sheriff and I have met with others. I will meet with others (again) so that we will be able to do what is expected of us as a political party.”

Meanwhile, the Makarfi faction in its meeting on Monday, resolved to challenged the Appeal Court ruling at the Supreme Court.

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0 Comments

  1. Margret Dickson

    February 21, 2017 at 2:53 pm

    Referring to Sheriff as his chairman doesn’t mean he has accepted him as his chairman. I’d assume Jonathan calls almost everyone he respects ‘My Chairman’ without any undertone involved.

  2. Animashaun Ayodeji

    February 21, 2017 at 2:58 pm

    That is how it should be, Sheriff is our Chairman, this is to tell Makarfi that everyone loves Sheriff and he’s the Chairman of the majority of the PDP. Makarfi should respect himself by allowing the court’s judgement stand

    • seyi jelili

      February 21, 2017 at 3:51 pm

      Bro
      It’s not about who loves sheriff
      It’s what Supreme Court finally determines

  3. JOHNSON PETER

    February 21, 2017 at 5:01 pm

    The fact remains whether sheriff is the chairmen or tableman or markfi is the deskman or stoolman, pdp is nothing but a dead horse. So no need crying over split milk.

    • Joy Madu

      February 22, 2017 at 5:32 am

      Keep shot and say something reasonable beside pdp don’t need your opinion so get lost

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