I could recall vividly my reaction in disappointed when I first got wind of the Sheriff controversial emergence as the new PDP Chairman on 16th February 2016. I was at the National Assembly complex seated in the office of Hon. Emeka Anohu around 2pm waiting for a briefing from him when Channels TV broke the news to my hearing; my first reaction was that of amazement then despair, thoughts ran through my mind over how Sheriff emerged knowing fully that his interest wasn’t publicized nor did he personally declare interest as they where other candidates in my own opinion with better moral grounds to occupy such positions, which included people in the likes of Wilberforce Juta, Mohammed Wakil, Saidu Kumo, Alhaji Grigir Lawal and the young and energetic Shehu Gabam.
Days went by and new insights on the reasons why Sheriff was chosen above others as the party Chairman started revealing itself. One of such was the perceived wealthy status of Sheriff and the purported readiness to spend from his pocket in order to keep the party afloat, this according to the media was propagated by Gov Ayo Fayose and fellow governors who felt they can’t finance the party from the meager allocation coming to their states, hence the need to bring in a person who they felt can run the party with least dependence on the Governors and government functionaries among the party. It was also said that his knowledge as a man who has never been on the side of the government in power would serve as a veritable tool to play the opposition card well. These reasons given by his backers didn’t go down well with most of the party stakeholders and the division in the once largest party in Africa fell to new time low. Various groups and individuals came out to castigate Sheriff’s emergence and even led to the formation of the PDP Rescue Group majorly made of former ministers who had served under the 16 years of the PDP government, the parallel group led by Prof Jerry Gana, Ibrahim Mantu and late Ojo Maduekwe sought his ouster from office, the South –West political class led by Bode George derided Sheriff in public, people like Fani Kayode and Doyin Okupe all campaigned against him. But he stood his ground against such fights promising to hand over in 3months when his supposed inherited tenure will elapse and new executives sworn in. In the light of this some of those not disposed to his emergence soft peddled, but little did they public know that Sheriff all along had something else up his sleeves; his inordinate desire was to extend his tenure till 2018 (supposedly supported by the PDP Governors and stakeholders) and maybe give him undue advantage to fly the party’s flag in 2019 Presidential election. But in sudden twist of fate, Sheriff lost the backing of the Governors and most stakeholders in Port-Harcourt just as the convention was supposed to commence and thus a caretaker committee led by Ahmed Makarfi was set up and charged with the duty of leading PDP for the next three months in which a new convention will be organized. With this, all hell was let loose on the party that is yet to recover from the defeat at 2015 general election. Court cases instituted by Sheriff and his cohorts began flying left and centre rendering the party almost comatose and an inactive opposition. This fight has become so dirty and messy to the extent that we young ones are beginning to ask our self questions in regards to the party and what it stands for. Till date, I still ask myself who brought Sheriff, for what purpose, was he the best candidate from the North-East, or was he just a that proverbial spear that will destroy PDP?
I have always known that the power wielded by some stakeholders, especially the Governors shall one day destroy the PDP; their erratic behavior and inordinate move to stifle the part out of the hands of the masses just to achieve personal goals has further set the party in a backward rollercoaster mood. When the Governors forum led by Olusegun Mimiko and the ever loud Ayodele Fayose campaigned for Ahmed Sheriff for the party chairmanship position, can they deny that they weren’t aware of his divisive records, or were the words of Inuwa Bwala who claimed that Sheriff fell out with the Governors because he refused granting them the express opportunity to run as Vice Presidential candidate come next general election? If this latter assumption is true, then it is a thing of shame and utmost ridicule to the said Governors and arrow heads of Sheriff’s emergence. Today the once largest party in Africa has lost its glory and sense of direction; the party is still left in the primordial power struggle that have reared its ugly head in the party. This situation have dragged the party known for settling its differences internally into a plethora of unending court cases, injunctions, exparte rulings and judgments orchestrated through the manipulation of the judicial system, especially our Federal high courts by the political elites. In as much as I applaud the majority of the party stakeholders who saw the reasons to oust Ahmadu Sheriff at the May 28 botched PDP convention in Port-Harcourt, reasons must be seen from both ends in order to make the party a formidable opposition. The crisis today has further weakened the party strength in the upcoming gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo states later this year which naturally are PDP strongholds. To add more, the various court cases challenging the leadership of the party has polarized its Local and State members as factions have pledged allegiance to either Markafi or Sheriff’s leadership of the party and as such, brought to the emergence of different candidates for the party in the forthcoming elections especially that of Edo state where two individuals have laid claim as being the authentic party candidate. Though INEC has decided to recognize Pastor Ize-Iyamu as the rightful candidate of the party, there are still court cases instituted by the Sheriff’s camp to challenge the decision of INEC.
It is to this that we advocate for a thorough negotiations between both parties on the need to move the party forward. With the continuous confusion in-fighting, poor policy formation, lack of purpose and direction from the APC led government; the PDP has an opportunity to redeem its battered image by becoming a firm opposition through proffering alternative solutions to the masses rather than staying put to the past where impunity reigned supreme. The party stalwarts must learn to stick to principles as stipulated by the party constitution instead of the so called “padi padi’’ arrangement done by the highest players which gradually drove the party into this downward spiral. And lastly, with the ruling on 4th July 2016 by the Port-Harcourt Federal High Court which validated the National convention of May 28, hence legitimizing the caretaker committee set up led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi; it is advisable that the warring Ahmadu Sheriff should give peace a chance as advised by his staunch supporter in the person of Senator Buruji Kashamu. Senator Makarfi should be supported by all and sundry to organize the next national convention come August 17 2016.

Ejezie Darlington writes from Port-Harcourt

Let me wait for the Afonjas to comment 1st

the Op is disturbed.