Makarfi
• Reps split over actual leader of party
• Ekiti has nothing to do with Sheriff group, says Fayose
Efforts to achieve genuine reconciliation for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) failed yesterday as the Ahmed Makarfi faction declared a “no meeting point” position with the Ali Modu Sheriff faction.
But Sheriff has insisted on conducting a unity national convention as recommended by the Seriake Dickson reconciliation committee.At a press conference presided over by the spokesman of the National Caretaker Committee, Dayo Adeyeye, the Makarfi group declared: “Given the lawless and untoward behaviour of Senator Sheriff so far, it appears that there will be no meeting point in this matter.”
The group asked Sheriff to stop parading himself as national chairman in contravention of the judgement of a Federal High Court, which had voided his chairmanship.
According to Adeyeye: “This judgment was never appealed by Senator Sheriff and the time frame stipulated by law for the appeal has elapsed; and as such, the judgment subsists. We have been informed that he is now seeking leave of court to appeal the judgment, but unfortunately, time is against this later move. So, he is an illegal national chairman.”
Also yesterday, Sheriff announced plans to proceed with the conduct of the national convention as recommended by the Dickson committee.Sheriff, who addressed a press conference at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, also hinted that the recommendations of the PDP reconciliation committee led by Dickson had the input of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
And barely 48 hours after the PDP caucus leader in the Senate, Godswill Akpabio endorsed Makarfi’s leadership, the party members in the House of Representatives yesterday disagreed over who among the two factional chairmen is the genuine leader.
One of the caucus members in the House, who claimed to be speaking for lawmakers opposed to Makarfi, Johnson Agbonayinma, PDP, Edo said legislators in the lower legislative chamber have agreed to support the party’s factional National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff and Chairman of the reconciliation committee, Seriake Dickson.
But in a swift reaction, the House Minority Leader, Leo Ogor said Sheriff and Dickson were not vibrant enough to lead the party out of its current challenges.
“Like I have said, the PDP caucus is intact and we are solidly behind Senator Makarfi. That has been the situation and it has not changed,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Ayodele Fayose has ruled out political solution to the crisis rocking the party.
While expressing confidence on the ability of the Supreme Court to return the party to the legitimate owners, he disclosed that Ekiti PDP has resolved not to have anything to do with the Sheriff group even if the apex court judgment was not favourable.
Fayose, who said implementation of the Dickson committee report was beyond Sheriff, noted that: “Assuming but not conceding that the report is acceptable, can Sheriff even implement it? Where will he find seven serving governors, seven former ministers, etc?”
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2m8YkEl
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