Inspite of the ‘no victor, no vanquished’ mantra, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC) led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi,
yesterday, moved against Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s loyalists.
Briefing journalists after the 74th NEC meeting held at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja, National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye announced the dissolution of the caretaker committees set up by the former national chairman in Jigawa and Benue states.
He said all other state caretaker committees set-up by Sheriff after the February 17 Appeal Court judgment that declared the former PDP leader as the “authentic” national chairman, equally “stand dissolved.”
He said after the Appeal Court judgment, Sheriff replaced the duly elected party executives in Benue and Jigawa and also tinkered with the party executives in some other states.
“All state caretaker committee set up after appeal Court judgment on February 17 stands dissolved. (But) If you are properly elected, we have no issue with that.”
Reacting to the sack of the caretaker committee chairmen, spokesman of the sacked NWC, Bernard Mikko told Daily Sun: “They (Markarfi group) are in charge of the party now. They can do whatever they like. They came with an agenda. I don’t want to join issues with them.”
Also, Adeyeye said the party resolved to hold its special non-elective National Convention on August 12.
The NEC, the second highest organ of the party consists of governors, select members of the National Assembly caucus in both chambers, the six national vice chairmen and state chairmen among others.
Explaining why the NEC decided to hold a special non-elective, he noted that at the last national convention in Port Harcourt, the tenure of the caretaker committee was extended by 12 months, which would elapse on August 16.
Adeyeye said it would be impossible to fulfil all the conditions stipulated by the party’s constitution for the holding of an elective convention between now and August 16.
He said the NEC also resolved to set-up a standing Disciplinary and Reconciliation Committees.
But he assured that the Disciplinary Committee was not targetted at any party member or faction.
Furthermore, he said the party’s NEC also resolved to amend certain sections of the PDP constitution.
According to him, some of the proposed amendments, which have been circulated to the state chapters, would take care of issues of discipline, ensuring internal democracy and the penchant of party not taking advantage of internal conflict resolution mechanism before rushing to the court.
The NEC meeting, which is the first since the PDP crisis broke out on May 21, last year, was preceded by meetings of the Expanded National Caucus, National Caucus and Board of Trustees (BoT).
Speaking after the meeting, former president Goodluck Jonathan said the jubilation that greeted the Supreme Court judgment that sacked Sheriff and put an end to the leadership crisis was an indication that Nigerians still believed in the party.
He said if the leaders could get their acts together, the sky would be the limit for the party.
He admonished the leaders to work together to strengthen the party.
“The party passed through challenges and you stood by the party. I commend the governors. Our party has come of age. I believe key decisions will be taken that will shape the future of our party.
“The first thing we need to do is to build the party. First and foremost, let us strengthen the party. A strong party is like a magnate. It attracts people. PDP is a party that Nigerians still believe in. Once we work together, the sky will be our limit.”
Speaking earlier, the chairman of the PDP National Caretaker, Senator Ahmed Makarfi said only a miracle will prevent the opposition party from returning to power in 2019.
He restated that his commitment to reconciliation did not “mean taking what belonged to people and giving to a few people.
On his part, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu noted that like the “beetle” the PDP would never die.
He said the opposition party would pursue the ruling party, overtake and retake Nigeria from them.
Among party chieftains in attendance at the meetings included former governors Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), and Udom Emmanuel (Cross River), former national chairmen, Vincent Ogbulafor and Ahmadu Ali, former deputy chairman, Uche Secondus, members of the National Assembly, former governors, and former ministers among others.
But Sheriff explained that he was absent at the meetings because invitation was not extended to him.
A statement issued by Mikko, said he was not invited to the various meetings of the party organs held on Monday night and yesterday.
“However, he will address a world press conference to throw light on the way forward after we have received and studied the full judgment of the Supreme Court and analysed its import on our democracy. We, therefore, appeal to all our loyal supporters nationwide not to defect as we are still committed to bringing the party back to the grassroots. We assure them that we will not only give them a voice, but they will also be heard.”
This is even as former deputy national chairman, Secondus, refuted claims that his chairmanship ambition contributed to the leadership crisis that rocked the party.
He said he never moved into the office of the national chairman even when it was vacant and organs of the party asked him to do so.
Secondus’ rebuttal is contained in a statement he issued yesterday in reaction to a news report, which alleged that his attempt to transmute to a substantive national chairman following the resignation of Alhaji Adamu Muazu sowed the seed for crisis in the party.
“Nothing can be farther from the truth because facts are there that I was never anxious to takeover when Adamu Muazu left as National Chairman despite having a precedent to rely on. I never entered the office of the National Chairman even when the various organs of the party directed me to do so,” he said.
http://www.fastbaze.com/2017/07/pdp-sacks-sheriffs-men.html

...... nigeria politifing .....

PDP will now enter default mode. I laugh in Tiv langauge.

Way to go.
Sanitize the party first.

Let's watch as more things unfold

Very good...

With serious flogging with bulala l suggest...