Peoples Democratic Party has called a stakeholders meeting for today, Thursday to discuss the crisis in the party as well as the programmes for its convention and forthcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
The meeting is at the instance of Senator Ahmed Makarfi, head of the party’s caretaker committee to reconcile with the former chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and his supporters.
But Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, whose candidate for the September governorship election in Edo State was rejected by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Tuesday, insisted that he remains the authentic chairman of the party.
He added that his candidate should be recognized by the commission based on the decision of the Abuja High Court.
Dayo Adeyeye, a member of the caretaker committee in charge of Publicity, said the meeting, will be attended by governors elected on the platform of the party as well as members of the Board of Trustees, BOT, and the National Assembly members, and would discuss the programme drawn up by the committee for the convention of the party which may hold in August.
According to him, members of the caretaker committee are ready to hold the party’s convention within the specified time frame given to it at the party’s national convention in Port Harcourt.
Makarfi, who is opposed to settling the party crisis through the court beckoned Senator Ali Modu sheriff to come back to the party when he received state chairmen of the party from the North West geo-political zone.
“So far, all legal intervention has been in favour of the decisions of the Port Harcourt national convention. That is not to say that the job is finished.
‘’In the past, I have said severally that the path of peace and reconciliation is the best path. Litigation can resolve issues on legal grounds but not between brothers and sisters.
“We will never foreclose that window, even if the legal issue terminates at this stage. If the legal issue continues, we will not foreclose the window of reconciliation. I assure you that we will work very hard to do the needful.
“I don’t want to talk too much on what we want to do because we are yet to be in full comfort zone. God willing, we will deliver to the satisfaction of PDP members,” he said.
Speaking on Wednesday however when he received a delegation of South South young professionals for good governance in Abuja, Senator Sheriff said the news making the rounds that the commission had rejected his candidate for the Edo election was a rumour.
Senator Sheriff, who was represented by the former Deputy Chairman, South, Dr Cairo Ojuogboh, urged his supporters nationwide to remain calm and continue to work for the candidate of the party in Edo State.
“I, hereby, dispel the rumor and categorically state that INEC has not yet communicated to us. INEC is still considering all judgements and orders of the court.
‘’As we speak, the order of Federal High Court, Abuja, specifically asked INEC to recognize only candidates presented by Ali Modu Sheriff as national chairman of the party.
“The court in Portharcourt is not superior to the court in Abuja and as such, cannot reverse the specific orders of the Abuja court ruling that INEC can only accept PDP candidates from Sheriff leadership for purposes of Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
“In view of the above, I call on all our PDP members to remain calm and call on our candidate to go ahead and campaign vigorously and seriously to win the election in Edo State,” Modu-Sheriff said.
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