Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, yesterday, continued his appeal for acceptance as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with a high level interaction with former President Goodluck Jonathan, who affirmed him a leader of the party.
President Jonathan’s meeting with Sheriff nonetheless, supporters of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led factional executive of the party, yesterday, defied a police cordon set against them to give a rousing endorsement of his leadership of the party.
The supporters, including serving and former governors, serving and former National Assembly members, former ministers and leading party stakeholders, unanimously resolved to appeal last weekend’s judgment of the Court of Appeal which vested recognition on the factional leadership led by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
The PDP stakeholders vowed that the party would restore Nigeria to the path of economic growth when it returns to power in 2019, noting that the Nigerian currency had become the worst performing in Africa.
Dr Jonathan, who received Sheriff in his Abuja residence at the end of the meeting, yesterday, declared that despite the problems in the party, it was not factionalised as being touted.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after closed door meeting with Sheriff, Jonathan said the former Borno State governor was a leader of the party.
He said: “We are solving our problems. There are bound to be differences in politics. It is the way we resolve these differences that makes us human beings and that is what makes us leaders.
“We are not factionalised. We are one. I have met with Sheriff. And I have met with others. I will meet with others, so that we will be able to do what is expected of us as a political party.”
Also speaking, Sheriff said he will not join issue with anybody, adding: “if I go down to their level, it means we are the same.”
The former Borno State governor added that he is consulting with leaders of the party, and would address the nation after his consultation.
He said: “We only have one PDP and only one chairman. We are putting things together to ensure that the party is united. We don’t want to have a divided house. We only have one PDP, we don’t have anything like caretaker committee.”
His dismissal of the caretaker committee, nonetheless, major party stakeholders, yesterday, flocked towards the stakeholders’ meeting summoned by the Makarfi-led committee.
The meeting initially scheduled for the International Conference Centre in Abuja was eventually relocated to the Abuja private residence of Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State after the venue was sealed off by the police.
Fayose, who was one of the governors who last year forced Sheriff on the party, said his decision to back out was akin to a man who backs out of a marriage after ignorantly making a marriage proposal to a HIV infected woman.
The meeting had in attendance Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, four governors, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, former governors and ministers, members of the Board of Trustees, BoT, as well as chairmen of the PDP in the states.
Senator Makarfi set the tone for the meeting which started mid afternoon by saying that it was to set a course for the party after the Port Harcourt court verdict.
According to him, the solidarity of all key organs and bodies of the party towards the Senator Makarfi leadership despite the court judgment is a clear demonstration that “it is not the hood that makes the monk.”
“We are aware that all the institutions of democracy are being manipulated and harassed in this country. The National Assembly and the press are not left out. The INEC has been captured and now a part of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Our judiciary is being insulted and assaulted every day. Their houses are being attacked very late at night, and the judges are being harassed.
“So, we are not surprised at what we see today (sealing of meeting venue). But what remains is for us to remain resolute.”
Speaking of the Port Harcourt judgment, Senator Ekweremadu said those who purport to benefit from the judgment are not with any organ of the party.
He said with the worsening economic situation in the country, it was obvious that members of the party cannot afford to despair because Nigerians are looking up to the party for a solution.
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