Two weeks after the botched Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, embattled factional chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has explained why he took a last-minute decision to call off the event.
He said he only acted in deference to a court order that elections should not be conducted into three offices of the party – national chairman, national secretary and national auditor.
According to him, if he had not acted swiftly to suspend the convention, it would have been an outright disregard for the judiciary. He referred to an earlier letter addressed to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), wherein the party was advised to obey a Lagos Federal High Court injunction.
In the letter, dated 16th of May, 2016 and addressed to Sheriff as national chairman of the party, INEC had warned that it would not monitor elections into the three seats under contention, pending the determination of the case by the court.
Subsequently, Sheriff, on the 20th of May, 2016, replied INEC, announcing the suspension of the convention in line with the court order. Part of the letter read “Consequently, the National Working Committee of the party, decided to abide by these court pronouncements and postpone the said convention.
“Your letter dated 16th of May,? 2016, informing the party that INEC would not monitor elections into the offices of the national chairman, national secretary and national auditor during our planned national conference refers.
“You also informed us that any officers elected into those offices would not be accorded any
recognition by your commission. This in compliance with the court order of the Federal High Court on the tenure of the incumbents of these offices.
“The party also received the judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, upholding the tenure of 18 national officers of the party till 2017 and 2018.
“Therefore, the incumbent national officers elected during the 2013 and 2014 special national conventions remain in office till 2017 and 2018 respectively.”
The former Borno state governor clarified that his target and vision for the opposition party is to rebuild it , explaining that he has no inordinate ambition as being peddled by some aggrieved elements in the party.
Further explaining his dream for the PDP, he declared that his plans remains to position the party in a good pedestal where it can successfully wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019. In line with this objective, Sheriff said plans were already in place to begin a nationwide consultation that will bring every aggrieved member together.
PDP Governors on the platform of the party and other stakeholders, had on the 21st of May, 2016 in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, removed the national working committee of the party and in its place, appointed a former governor of Kaduna state, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.
While the convention was ongoing in Port-Harcourt, a parallel convention was held in Abuja. The parallel convention was spearheaded by former minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana.
Sheriff’s leadership has filed a suit challenging the move.
Worried by the worsening crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), the Board of Trustees (BoT) has raised a three-man team to meet with sacked Acting National Chairman Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff.
The team is likely to meet Sheriff today in Abuja.
But the party’s National Secretariat remains under lock and key because Sheriff and the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, have not agreed on who should take control of the place.
Inspector-General of Police Solomon Arase was awaiting the agreement by the two leaders, who are laying claim to the national chairman before reopening the secretariat.
The BOT agreed with the stakeholders to raise the three-man panel to avert the degenerating situation in the party, it was learnt.
Members of the panel are Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, former Education Minister Tunde Adeniran and House Minority Leader Leo Ogor.
According to a source in the party, the panel is expected to:
- prevail on Sheriff to be “a true party man” by placing the PDP above anything;
- implore Sheriff to withdraw all cases in court – in deference to the internal party mechanism for addressing such issues; and
- find amicable ways of resolving all pending issues.
The source said: “The three-man team will meet Sheriff in Abuja on Tuesday (Today) because if we go on like this, the PDP might not survive this crisis.
“We believe the panel can agree on workable solutions with Sheriff whose suits in court may draw PDP backward and tear it apart.
“We are hopeful that we will come out of this crisis stronger, if Sheriff cooperates with the panel.”
On Friday, Sheriff and 17 members of the National Working Committee (NWC) rushed to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory seeking the declaration of Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee illegal.
They said their tenure will end on December 11, 2018 since a former National Chairman of PDP, Ahmed Mua’zu, whose mandate they inherited was elected at a Special National Convention on December 10th and 11th, 2014.
They also asked the court to set aside the decision of penultimate Saturday’s National Convention of the PDP.
In an affidavit, which Sheriff personally deposed to, the ex-governor, through his counsel, Alex A. Izinyon (SAN), sought an ex-parte order to stop Makarfi from leading a Caretaker Committee which he alleged was unknown to the PDP’s Constitution.
But Makarfi on Saturday said going to court might not help in resolving the crisis.
While hosting Governor Henry Seriake Dickson in Kaduna, Makarfi urged all aggrieved PDP leaders to give reconciliation a chance.
He said: “Litigation may just give you a legal victory but it may not give you a permanent peace and harmony amongst your family.
“We need to reconcile; we need to acknowledge where we went wrong. It is a good virtue to say sorry…”
The National Secretariat of PDP yesterday remained shut.
Inner room learnt that when Makarfi and Sheriff met with Arase last week, it was resolved that they should meet and agree on who should manage the secretariat.
A police source said: “The ultimate objective of the IGP was to prevent acts capable of disrupting the peace of Abuja, which is the nation’s capital.
“So, Sheriff and Makarfi had a session with IGP. It was agreed that the two leaders should go and agree that there won’t be any problem.
“Their decision will determine which of the factions is going to have access to the National Secretariat of the party.
“But, as at Sunday, the two leaders have not agreed on any mutually beneficial solution.
“We will give them up till Friday to respond to the IGP’s mediation target. They may get back this week.”
Responding to a question, the highly- placed source said: “If there is no agreement by the two sides, the secretariat may remain shut, unless a court says otherwise.
“Our main concern is that we don’t want them to disrupt the peace of Abuja.”
There were indications last night that the two factions may end up in court to determine the occupant of the PDP National Secretariat.
“We will follow legal process to repossess the PDP National Secretariat, “ a party stalwart in Makarfi’s camp said.
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