Wike, Fayose drafted Jonathan to scuttle PDP peace process –Sheriff

The Peoples Democratic Party national chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has alleged that former President Goodluck Jonathan was hired to destroy the peace process in the party with the last week stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja that ended in disarray.

He accused the governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers and Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state, as those who recruited Jonathan to ensure that efforts of Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson’s led Peace and Reconciliation Committee were scuttled.

Sheriff made this allegation at a press conference in Abuja through his deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, adding that the meeting was sponsored by Wike with N50 million.

“It was a thing of joy for the party faithful as there was jubilation that indeed peace has returned to the party. But to the surprise of all, Wike and Fayose recruited the former President Goodluck Jonathan into a fake peace effort predetermined to scuttle Governor Dickson’s efforts.

“The result is that President Jonathan was lured into committing a serious breach of protocol that led to the failure of the exercise, which was the intended outcome.

“The allegation that Wike spent a whopping N50million to host the last failed meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan is neither palatable nor is it acceptable,” he said.

Sheriff went further to accused Wike of paying “$1million for legal fees to Markarfi’s attorneys in the ongoing Supreme Court matter and has disbursed $5million to unknown persons in relation to the Supreme Court case.

He added, “He (Wike) has been boasting that he bought his governorship Supreme Court judgment through someone (name withheld) in Suit No PHC/810/2016.

“The party is worried that the amount of money Wike is spending needlessly is worrisome and a measure of unbridled profligacy intended to further smear the good image of the party. This money belongs to the people of Rivers State and it should not be misappropriated at the expense of the people to whom it rightfully belongs.

Read also: Amaechi owns N18bn cash found in Lagos residence- Fayose’s aide

“Anybody partaking in the misuse of Rivers State money should be fully aware that it is blood money. We therefore call on party leaders and Nigerians to refrain from accepting these monies from Governor Wike in line with the spirit of our founding fathers.”

Meanwhile, Jonathan in a statement through his media aide, Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, has refuted the allegation.

“The former President intervention in the crisis was because of his genuine commitment to bring about peace in the party that made him President. I don’t think anybody will believe that he collected money from anybody to organise the meeting.

“It is out of his genuine concern to bring peace to the party. He has been meeting with members of the party; he met with Sheriff several times, he also met with Makarfi several times. He met with the governors.
“I don’t see any reason for anybody to say that Jonathan collected money from anybody to organise the stakeholders’ conference,” his aide said.

 

 

 

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