PDP crisis: Sheriff ready to step down, but has issues with Fayose, Wike

Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, factional national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has said that he was ready to step down as the party’s chairman.

The governor promised that should the party agree to carry everybody along and take the convention to Abuja, he will step down as the party chairman for peace to reign.

This is as he has vowed that he will not allow the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, and his Rivers colleague, Nyesom Wike, to carry out their alleged plot to hijack the party.

Sheriff stated this position on Sunday when he appeared on a programme on Channels Television.

“We will not let PDP to be hijacked by a few people like Governor Fayose and the governor of Rivers State. They have a script that they want someone to act, but I am a man of principle. This is not about Ali Sheriff; it is about democracy, and the rule of law.

“I never asked to be chairman of the PDP. I was asked to come and assist the party. I never wanted to be chairman of the PDP. I was sitting down in my house when leaders of the party begged me to come and help the party. Initially, I said no, but I later accepted.

“We won’t allow things to go wrong, the party will not be hijacked. If they agree to carry everybody along and take the convention to Abuja, I am ready to step down today.”

Read also: North dumps Sheriff, endorses PDP P’Harcourt Convention

PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), in a recent meeting with Sheriff had asked that he withdraw all court cases instituted against the party by his members, a condition he refused, insisting in a reported interview also on Sunday, that he would do everything within his power and the constitution of the party to end what he called impunity in the party.

According to his spokesperson, Mr Bernard Mikko, “The courts are there to settle disputes in the society. We have done everything within the law to end the crisis. We agreed on many terms but not to circumvent the constitution of the party, but the Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee will not agree to end the crisis.

“There’s is no difference between the so-called forthcoming national convention and the moribund one held in May. The only thing is that some group of persons who were not carried along then have been given roles to play in the Wednesday illegal convention.

“We will wait for its outcome. Don’t forget that we are going to court on Monday (today) to know what is going to happen on Wednesday.”

By Ebere Ndukwu …

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now