Ex-Governor Modu Sheriff in one-man racefor PDP chair

Reprieve has come the way of the embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff.The various party organs and stakeholders whowere hitherto calling for his ouster, yesterday gave him the nod to run as sole chairmanship candidate at the national convention billed to hold in Port Harcourt on Saturday.At a broad based meeting at the party’s Abuja secretariat, the stakeholders, including the Board of Trustees (BoT) unanimously endorsedSheriff for the job, with the various dissenting groups in agreement.Confirming the development, Sheriff, in a chat with newsmen at the party’s secretariat said his candidacy was first endorsed by the party’s Northeast and his home state of Borno in a unanimous voice vote.Said he, “Yes, I am contesting for the position of chairman at the convention. I have been unanimously endorsed by the Northeast zone and Borno State as sole candidate.“The Taraba State Governor (Darius Ishaku) moved the motion for my adoption and his Gombe State counterpart, (Ibrahim Dankwabo) seconded the motion”.Sheriff had, after an earlier meeting with the party’s BoT, said the party had dropped its plan to amend the PDP constitution which had been one of the sources of disagreement among party stakeholders.He however clarified that the decision to amend the party’s constitution was not his idea, saying that he only inherited the recommendation as contained in a report by the Ike Ekweremadu committee.Sheriff confirmed the party’s decision to zone the PDP’s presidential ticket to the North for the 2019 general election.The chairman also assured the BoT and other stakeholders that disagreements arising from the conduct of ward and zonal congresses across the states would be looked into, with a view to addressing areas of conflict.The party also confirmed Senator Walid Jibrin as newly elected chairman of the BoT, with Chief Ojo Maduekwe as secretary.With this arrangement, the slots for party chair, BoT chair and presidential candidate for the 2019 election have been taken up by the North.Addressing journalists shortly after the BoT meeting, Walid said members decided to resolve the crisis amicably in the interest and unity of the party.He called on the various groups and interests to respect the collective decisions of the party, saying decisions were taken based on the principles of justice and fairness, “without sinister motives”.The BoT chair urged aggrieved interests and members to seek redress through existing dispute resolution channels.Also speaking after the meeting, the BoT secretary, Chief Ojo Maduekwe said the body decided to back the decision to hold the convention in spite of its earlier opposition.According to him, all the grievances articulated by the dissenting stakeholders and groups would be properly addressed, particular disagreements arising from the conduct of congresses across the states.Defending the zoning of the party chair and presidential ticket to the North, Maduekwe said an incumbent chairman would be prevailed upon to step down the moment a Northern presidential candidate emerged.“Collective wisdom of the party will prevail on the chairman to step down when the time comes for him to do so”, Chief Maduekwe stated.Those at the meeting included two party formerchairmen, Dr. Ahmadu Ali and Prince Vincent Ogbulafor.Others include former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara; his erstwhile deputy, IbrahimMantu; Prof. Jerry Gana; Chief Tom Ikimi; Chief Bode George; Prof. Tunde Adeniran; Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun; Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri.Also at the meeting were a number of the party’s ex governors and former members of the National Assembly.