Makarfi must go, Ali Modu Sheriff insists

Embattled former chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has said he could only let go of his claim to the chairmanshipof the party if he was allowed to nominate 10 members to join the other 10 that would be nominated by Senator Ahmed Makarfi to organise a fresh convention for theparty.Sheriff-MakarfiHowever, one of his former supporters, Senator Buruji Kashamu, appealed to him to sheathe his sword in the interest ofthe party.Speaking, yesterday, when a delegation of Abia State chapter ofthe PDP from the 17 local governments paid him a solidarity visit in Abuja, Senator Sheriff said he was ready to let go of his claim to the chairmanship of the party in deference to the intervention by the governors of Taraba and Gombe states but insisted that the conditions that he gave must be met.But one of his former supporters, Senator Kashamu, yesterday, appealed to Senator Sheriff to let go of his claim to the leadership in the interest of the party and its supporters nationwide.According to Sheriff, the convention of the party

being proposed must be held in Abuja with him and the national caretakercommittee, headed by Senator Makarfi, nominating 10 members each to conduct the convention.Sheriff said his conditions for a unified party were based on the agreement reached at the reconciliation meeting held at Taraba State Government House, under the chairmanship of Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, deputised by Senator Ibrahim Mantu.He warned that unless the conditions he had set out were met, he would remain the national chairman of the party till 2018.Senator Sheriff said the impunity which prevailed in the party in the past and led it to the present sorry state must be stopped.He explained: “Proposals were put forward in Taraba and discussions cannot go forward until you handle it from the foundation. In Taraba, all issues put forward were for Makarfi Caretaker Committee to be dissolved.“Makarfi Committee should resign, it does not exist in the PDP constitution. What exists is the national chairman which I am. I remain the chairman until 2018.‘’Some people want to make PDP their personal property. That will not happen; if you don’t stand on the truth, the end result will be destruction,” he said.Earlier, spokesman of Abia State PDP delegation, Emeka Osoagbaka, noted that impunity and mediocrity reigned supreme in the party as a group of adventurers hijacked it before the intervention of Sheriff as the national chairman.He expressed displeasure in the shoddy manner state congresses were organized, saying results were announced before mock congresses were held, adding that if it was not corrected, it might leadto mass defection.Meanwhile, one of Senator Sheriff’s former supporters, Senator Buruji Kashamu, has appealed to Senator Sheriff to sheath his sword in the interest of the party.In a statement he issued in Abuja, Senator Kashamu said he did not dump Sheriff as widely reported but only hearken to the reconciliation initiated by leaders of the party.He said: “I can only plead with our great leader, Senator Sheriff, who has been hurt, to soft-pedal and let go, in the interest of the party and our teeming members. He has shown that he is a principled man and a courageous person.“Since he and Senator Makarfi have said they are not interested incontesting for the office of National Chairman of the party at the National Convention, he should encourage all his people to participate in the process leading to the rescheduled National Convention.“I have read comments credited to Dr. Cairo Ojougboh to the effect that the cases in court will be pursued till the end. As someone who has been preaching peace and reconciliation, he should not be seen to be fuelling the situation. Asit is said, you cannot cry more than the bereaved. Senator Sheriff is a man with a large heart who is forgiving as a true Muslim and as enjoined by the Almighty Allah subwatala ala.“Finally, I wish to enjoin all my leaders, elders, associates and supporters in the South West to join hands with all our states, zonaland national leaders to move our party forward. Let’s sheathe our sword; put an end to recriminations and infighting” he said.