Sheriff calls for truce, else PDP crisis won’t end till 2019

Senator Ali Modu Sheriff on Friday warned that the persisting crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), if not settled out of court may prolong till 2019.

The former governor of Borno State, who stated this at a press conference in Abuja, called on state governors, leaders and other stakeholders in the party to find political solutions to end the face-off in the party.

His deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojugboh, who represented him at the meeting said the reprieve granted his faction by Justice Okon Abang, as the one to present candidates for the Edo and Ondo states’ elections coming up later in the year, shows that Sheriff is the legally recognised leader of the party.

According to him, “There’s no faction in the party. Stop calling Sheriff factional chairman. The National Working Committee is one. The reason is that, the court said that it is only Sheriff that can sign and submit names of candidates for Edo and Ondo states’ elections.

“We are now appealing to the leaders of the party and its governors to cooperate with Sheriff so that he can organise a proper convention to return power to the people. The court cases won’t end until 2019. The court may therefore not be able to solve the crisis. So we need political solution to end the crisis.

“This is a special appeal to the governors, (and) the leaders to look at the situation passionately and solve the matter. The only way through which the party can solve the problem and for it to move forward is for the people to sit together and solve the problems.

Read also: PDP crisis deepens as court orders INEC to recognise only Sheriff’s candidates

“The earlier they behave well, the better for them. The party won’t rely on the governors for funds and all that anymore. We don’t need their money. The corruption issue we are having is because governors were bringing money to run party. We don’t need the governors’ money to run the party again.”

While he callled the party to respect the rule of law, Sheriff said he was ready to make peace.

Nonetheless, the National Caretaker Committee of the party, under the chairmanship of Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has argued that the injunction granted to the Sheriff group by Justice Abang was in error.

The committee spokesperson, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, in reply to Sheriff’s claim in Abuja, maintained that the injunction granted to the Sheriff group by Justice Abang is of no effect. “We believe it was granted in error by misrepresentation to his lordship. Two judgements given this week by two justices of the FCT High Court and Federal High Court are to the effect that Sheriff was never even a chairman of the PDP.”

There have been accusations of Sheriff working for the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC ), to make sure PDP remains in crisis until 2019, when there will be another general elections.

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