PDP: Sheriff consolidates, consults ex-gov Aliyu , IBB

Determined to consolidate his hold on the chairmanship position of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff on Sunday held meetings with ex-governor Babangida Aliyu and former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) in Minna, Niger State.

In a split decision of 2-1, he was pronounced the authentic chairman of the party on Friday by a Court of Appeal sitting in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

Ripples Nigeria gathered that Sheriff arrived Minna Sunday afternoon and met with Aliyu shortly after, and speaking with newsmen, he said, “My victory is a victory for the PDP all over Nigeria. There is no loser. It is just a misunderstanding within a family, and we are calling on everybody to come together so that the party can be a formidable one once again.”

The duo later visited with former Head of State, IBB at his residence. Though no statements were issued at the end of the conservations which held behind closed-doors, Sheriff emerged to brief media men saying, “During our meeting, he said he is happy with my statement after the court ruling. He told me to continue that way so that I can bring everybody back together to make the party a formidable opposition party.

“What we want to do now is how to put the party back in shape so that everyone, who is aggrieved, is brought back as one united family once again. Look, united we stand, divided we fall.”

Alluding to efforts being made to reconcile with aggrieved party leaders, Sheriff said, “I have even called Makarfi himself and I have called on everybody to come back so that we can work together.

Read also: Order FG to return my N3bn, defiant Yakubu tells court

“Now that we have a legal decision even though other people talk about going higher (Supreme Court), others are saying ‘no’, we should start widening the solution; that we don’t waste time in terms of legality.”

Reiterating his hold on the party leadership, he asserted that, “For the moment, Ali Modu Sheriff is the chairman of the party, and those of us who love to see the solution to the problems in this party, will continue to find ways of mending fences.

“I think we should all bury our ambition, you can’t have an ambition without a platform.

“We need to all come together and I appeal to all of us, all PDP lovers and members, to really look at the issues objectively so that we have a platform that we can call a party which can win elections. Not a fragmented party.”

Having lost its claim to the party leadership, Senator Ahmed Markafi’s faction had insisted it would explore the intervention of the Supreme Court. Markafi is said to enjoy the support of most PDP governors.

 

 

Ripples Nigeria.. without borders, without fears

Click here to download the Ripples Nigeria App for latest updates

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