Makarfi Must Leave for Peace To Reign, Says Sheriff
- It’s time to surrender, Buruji advises ousted leader
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has said that the only condition for the end of the crisis in the party is for it to dissolve the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led national caretaker committee.
He maintained his position that the appointment of the national caretaker committee at the Port Harcourt convention is illegal and unknown to PDP constitution.
Sheriff’s defiance came just as his political ally and one of the leaders of the South West PDP, Senator Buruji Kashamu, advised him to sheathe his sword and join hands with the national caretaker committee in the process of organizing a fresh national convention.
However, Sheriff who spoke on Monday when a delegation of PDP members from the 17 local governments area of Abia state paid him a solidarity visit, said part of the terms of reconciliation is for a fresh national convention to be held in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja rather than Port Harcourt.
He also suggested the formation of a harmonized convention committee with 10 members each from his group and the Makarfi committee.
Sheriff said he was approached for reconciliation by the PDP governors from the north-east, Darius Isiaku of Taraba and Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe, but that he told the peace meeting that unless the Makarfi committee is sacked, there will be no truce outside the court.
“Yes we have met and issues were discussed but all the issues I put forward to them was for the Makarfi Caretaker Committee to resign. Since it is an aberration as far as our party constitution is concern. I told them that I am not ready to be a permanent chairman but I want the party to be placed in proper stead.
“If he resigns tomorrow I will ask the members of my NWC whose tenure still lasts to 2018 including myself and set up a convention Committee in Abuja and put respected members of leader in the World as members of the committee,” he said.
Sheriff said that beside the resignation of Makarfi, he must be allowed to nominate the chairman and 10 others into the new convention committee.
“In that convention I will give away my mandate that does not expire until 2018 and I remain the national chairman of this party until 2018. If the leaders of our party felt that we can find a solution without exhausting the Court then I am open to it we can find a political solution.
“Nothing like what has been reported. If you do not stand on the truth, the end result will be a serious distraction. The convention committee that we will do I. Will nominate the chairman 10 people and Makarfi group will present 10 people and plan a convention that will take place in Abuja.
“I will give up my tenure if people belive that I was doing that for myself. I said Makarfi Committee must resign the party does not believe in . If I go to the convention and say that I don’t want to continue to 2018 it is okay, that in the sight of law is allowed but as it is now I remain the chairman till 2018.
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