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Tag: PDP crisis

  • Sheriff overrules PDP members’ suspension in Abia

    The Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday overturned the suspension of party members in Abia.

    A statement jointly released to journalists by Sheriff and his National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

    Sheriff described the suspension of Chidi Nwosu (Umuahia South) Emeka Ejiogu (Umuahia North) and Chukwuemeka Osoagbaka (Ikwuano) as a witch-hunt.

    ”The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP has been drawn to the purported suspension of some of our party members by the Abia State Chapter,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Sheriff as saying in the statement.

    ”The NWC frowns at a situation where party members are being victimised because of their loyalty to the leadership at the national level.

    ”It is important that all organs of the party must respect party members’ wish to associate with other members irrespective of various affiliations.

    ”The crisis going on in the party is an internal matter and is in the process of resolution.

    “It is worthy to note that party members in Abia have not committed any anti-party activity.

    ”In the light of this, the NWC hereby directs the Abia State chapter to immediately rescind the purported suspensions and show, within 48 hours, evidence of its compliance to the NWC.

    ”Failure to comply will attract stiff sanctions in accordance with the constitution of the PDP.”

  • PDP CRISIS: MIMIKO IN SECRET TALKS WITH SHERIFF

    PDP CRISIS: MIMIKO IN SECRET TALKS WITH SHERIFF

    • Governors split again
    • Sheriff calls stakeholders meeting this week

    Fear-stricken  governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are beginning to worm back to Senator  Ali Modu Sheriff after a Federal High Court on Thursday declared him the authentic chairman of the party.

    Hours after the court’s ruling, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State held a secret meeting with Sheriff in Abuja, although some other PDP governors remain opposed to Sheriff leading the party.

    Some members of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the PDP have also made a U- turn to woo Sheriff who is said to be disposed to convening a stakeholders meeting later this week.

    The Nation gathered that  Governor Mimiko met with Sheriff on Thursday night in Abuja as part of the effort to “move the party forward.”

    Sources said Mimiko’s action was predicated on the fact that he needed Sheriff, who has been recognized by the court as the authentic chair of the party, to push the candidature of his (Mimiko’s) choice, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) for the state governorship election later in the year.

    Mimiko, sources said, pledged loyalty to Sheriff, but canvassed reconciliation in the party.

    A top source said, “The meeting was a follow up to the decision of the court that Sheriff is the authentic chairman of the party.

    “It was secret but fruitful. Don’t forget that Mimiko is also the outgoing chairman of the PDP Governors Forum.

    “In all honesty, the governor also spoke on how to keep the party united.”

    Responding to a question, the source said: “Mimiko actually said he will abide by the Rule of Law on the crisis in the party.

    “You know Ondo chapter of the PDP will soon hold its governorship primaries. He does not want the crisis in the party to have spiral effect on the choice of candidate in Ondo as the case with Edo State.”

    A separate source said PDP governors have broken into two camps on account of the court ruling.

    Queuing behind Sheriff are the governors of Taraba, Gombe, Enugu, Cross River, and Ondo.

    Those against are those of Rivers, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Delta, Abia, Akwa Ibom

    The governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Seriake Dickson, has thrown himself into the job of reconciling the two factions.

    A party stalwart said: “We are experiencing a division among our governors because of the ruling of the court. Some are insisting that the party should abide by the rule of law and engage Sheriff.

    “Some of the governors said the party should save itself from Sheriff by going through the legal battle from the lower court to the Supreme Court.

    “But Governor Dickson is preaching dialogue and reconciliation to both sides because the time element is important for PDP. We need to put our house in order before the 2019 poll.

    “If Sheriff sticks to his mandate till 2018, we will be divided and shall remain unprepared for the next election. Alternatively, most of our leaders will leave the party.

    “Even members of the BOT, who should resolve the crisis, have broken into camps. Some BOT members are now with Sheriff.”

    There were indications last night that Sheriff might convene a stakeholders meeting this week with a view to reconciling with all those opposed to him.

    Another party leader said: “Sheriff is already waving the olive branch. He will call a stakeholders meeting next (this) week to reunite the leaders of the party.”

    Justice Okon Abang on Thursday declared Sheriff as the authentic National Chairman of PDP.

    He declared the judgment of the Port-Harcourt division which recognised the Makarfi-led caretaker committee as “unlawful, illegal and without foundation in law to stand.”

    He said: “The Makarfi-led caretaker committee, as an apostle of impunity missed their way to Port Harcourt to get a judgment; that judgment cannot stand.

    “The Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court cannot make an order to neutralise the effectiveness and potency of orders of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court.

    “As at the time the Makarfi-led committed found their way to the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court, the or­ders of the Lagos division of the court was still subsisting.

    “The Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court therefore has no business to have dabbled into the issues of PDP leadership in the light of the subsisting orders issued in Lagos by a court of competent jurisdiction.”

     

  • Sheriff hails Abuja court’s ruling

    The disputed Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ali Modu Sheriff, on Friday commended the Justice Okon Abang’s judgment nullifying a Port Harcourt ruling that recognised the party’s caretaker committee.

    Sheriff told journalists in Abuja that he got an order stopping the party’s national convention slated for August 17.

    ‎Commending the ruling, Sheriff said the order issued by Justice Abang was a demonstration that some fine judges exist in Nigeria.

    He also called on the Nigeria Judicial Council (NJC) to remove the few erring judges ‎”tarnishing the image of the judiciary.”

    ‎Sheriff said the ruling of the court had boosted his desire to wipe out impunity even as he announced his readiness to take the PDP to its original owners at the grass roots level, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    The ex- Borno State governor also disclosed that he would convene an expanded caucus meeting of the PDP comprising the Board of Trustees, National Assembly Caucus and state chairmen to chart the next line of action.

    However, the caretaker committee had said the court ruling was misinterpreted as it did not set aside the Port Harcourt ruling that instituted the committee.

  • Court declares Makarfi committee illegal

    Court declares Makarfi committee illegal

    A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ruled that the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is illegal.

    Justice Okon Abang stated this while delivering a preliminary ruling in an application filed the Ali Modu Sheriff-faction of party.

    The Sheriff group had on July 4 asked the court to restrain the Makarfi committee from going ahead with the party national convention slated for August 17.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP are listed as defendants in the suit.

     

  • PDP crisis stays as Sheriff insists Makarfi must resign

    PDP crisis stays as Sheriff insists Makarfi must resign

    The factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has called for the dissolution of the Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee as a condition for reconciliation.

    He also rejected the choice of Port Harcourt as venue of the party’s National Convention slated for August 17.

    The last convention, which was disputed, was held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    Sheriff tabled these and other demands as conditions for truce in the PDP.

    He told reporters yesterday that he had made it clear to Governors Darius Ishaku (Taraba) and Ibrahim Dankwabo (Gombe) that the caretaker committee was an aberration to the PDP constitution.

    The former Borno State governor was receiving a delegation of PDP supporters from 17 local government areas of Abia State who visited him in Abuja.

    He asked to be allowed to nominate 10 members into the convention committee, with the Makarfi group also nominating 10 members.

    Sheriff said the convention should hold in Abuja.

    He dismissed claims that he was the problem with the PDP, saying the crisis in the party was being fuelled by some persons who regard the PDP as their personal property.

    He vowed to resist such persons, saying there will be no room for them to operate as long as he remained chairman.

    Sheriff said: “People are very interested in our party and how the crisis will be settled  before the Port Harcourt convention, which was aborted by a court order.

    “Yes, we met and issues were discussed but all the issues I put forward to them was for the Makarfi caretaker committee to resign.

    “Since it is (committee) an aberration as far as our party constitution is concern. I told them that I am not ready to be a permanent chairman but I want the party to be placed in proper stead.

    “If he resigns tomorrow, I will ask the members of my National Working Committee (NWC) whose tenure will expire in 2018, including myself to resign.

    “Then, we will set up a convention committee in Abuja and put respected members and leader at the wards as members of the committee.

    “In that convention, I will give away my mandate that does not expire until 2018 and I remain the national chairman of this party until 2018.

    “If the leaders of our party felt that we can find a solution without exhausting the pending court processes, then I am open to a political solution.

    “There is nothing like what has been reported. If you do not stand on the truth, the end result will be a serious distraction.

    The leader of the Abia delegation, Mr. Chidi Nwosu called on Sheriff to look into the flawed congresses in Abia with the view to correcting the anomalies.

    Nwosu said the congresses were conducted by a few powerful men who sat in their hotel rooms and picked the delegates.

    Sheriff appears to have lost the support of one of his main backers. Senator Buruji Kashamu yesterday called on him to embrace peace.

    The senator said it was time for the disputants to bury the hatchet in order to reposition the party for constructive opposition role.

    Kashamu who represents Ogun East senatorial district, stated this in a statement in Abuja yesterday.

    Kashamu said he opted to join Sheriff at the initial stage because the party leaders did not consult him before removing Sheriff as chairman.

    He said: “When I was asked by our leaders to support our revered national leader, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, as the national chairman, none of the leaders told me that they had changed their mind.

    “Therefore, my support was to maintain the dignity and respect for the office of the National Chairman.

    “Disputes and disagreements are part and parcel of any dynamic organization. But while we disagree, we must not throw away the baby with the bath water as true party men and women. There must be room for resolution of the disputes and disagreements.”

     

     

    “Therefore, I can only plead with our great leader, 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 Makarfi have said they are not interested in contesting 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 wish to enjoin all my leaders, elders, associates and supporters in the Southwest to join hands with all our states, zonal and national leaders to move our party forward. Let’s sheathe our sword and put an end to recriminations and infighting”.

  • PDP crisis: Sheriff insists no agreement

    PDP crisis: Sheriff insists no agreement

    Former Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff declared yesterday that he had not reached agreement with anyone to relinquish his position as chairman of the party.

    His ally and former deputy national Chairman, Dr Cairo Ojuogboh ,told reporters in Abuja that contrary to insinuation that Sheriff was in the process of relinquishing power to Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee, there was no such development.

    The presence of Senator Buruji Kashamu, a strong ally of Sheriff at last week’s meeting of the PDP expanded national caucus meeting had been interpreted in some quarters as an indication of Ojuogboh what said. He said categorically yesterday that Sheriff has “not reached agreement with anybody, neither has he permitted anybody to conclude on any processes on his behalf.

    “We are continuing with our cases in court, we respect the rule of law. Sheriff will address a press conference on Monday (tomorrow) on the state of our party, PDP. Our goal remains to return the party to the people and stamp out impunity.”

    He said the issues that led to the crisis in the party which Senator Sheriff is trying to address have not been resolved.

    But yesterday, Sheriff emphasised that his faction was still pursuing its cases in court, but said that he would address the nation on the state of the party on Monday.

     

  • Edo: Sheriff rejects INEC’s acceptance of Ize-Iyamu as PDP candidate

    Edo: Sheriff rejects INEC’s acceptance of Ize-Iyamu as PDP candidate

    The camp of ex-National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has rejected the recognition given to Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the party’s candidate in the September 10 governorship election in Edo State.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had during the week accepted Ize-Iyamu’s nomination as PDP candidate in Edo State.

    Ize-Iyamu’s name was submitted by the Ahmed Makarfi led caretaker committee.

    But speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, a key member of Sheriff’s faction, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, described INEC’s decision to accept Ize-Iyamu as a “mere rumour.”

    Ojougboh spoke while receiving a delegation of professionals from the South-South geopolitical zone who called to declare support for the Sheriff camp.

    Ojougboh said, ‎”We heard a rumour making the rounds that INEC has accepted another person as candidate of the PDP for the Edo State governorship election

    “I hereby dispel the rumor and categorically state that INEC has not yet communicated the decision to us.”

    According to him, INEC was still considering all judgements and court orders arising from the party’s lingering leadership crisis

    He stated that the Federal High Court in Abuja had specifically asked the INEC to recognise only candidates presented by the Sheriff camp.

     

  • We must collectively resolve PDP crisis – Sheriff

    The  embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, has called on loyalists of the party to “work collectively towards ending the leadership crisis within the party.”

    Sheriff’s call is contained in a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Mr. Inuwa Bwala, on Tuesday in Abuja, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    The statement urged PDP loyalists to be wary of smear campaigns and unite to find lasting solution to the crisis rocking the party.

    It added that the call was important following a recent report alleging that Senator Buruji Kashamu was a “godfather’’ to Sheriff.

    The statement described the report as “part of the mischief and orchestrated smear campaigns embarked upon by some people against Sheriff.”

    “We wish to state, for the avoidance of doubt, that Sheriff has no godfather in politics and Senator Buruji Kashamu could not have been one.

    “It is becoming clearer that the PDP National Chairman’s critics have run out of ideas on how to achieve their selfish agenda,”  it added.

     

  • Sheriff has nine PDP governors’ backing – Ojougboh

    Sheriff has nine PDP governors’ backing – Ojougboh

    The Ali Modu Sheriff camp of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the ex-Borno governor has the backing of nine out of the party’s 12 governors.

    The camp’s Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh, who stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, said aside Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti and Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, the remaining PDP governors are behind Sheriff.

    Ojuogboh expressed optimism that the party would come out stronger when the lingering internal crisis is resolved.

    He said what is happening in the PDP would end up saving the party from future crisis, stressing that the party would have been ignorant and complacent if the crisis did not erupt.

    Ojougboh said, “If you look at what is happening in the party, there is no elder in the party. Newsmen always make the mistake by saying that the Governors’ Forum is in support of one group, the Board of Trustees are in support of one group and members of the National Assembly are in support of one group.

    “Have you heard any member of any of these bodies speaking out to support anybody, they are waiting for Sheriff to win so that there will be jubilation in the body polity of PDP and the country, because the party’s problem has been addressed.”

    Ojuogboh said the emergence of Sheriff was a divine act of God, adding that God does not make mistakes.

    He insisted that Sheriff’s mission was to reposition the party.

    The party chieftain stated that the Sheriff camp and the Ahmed Makarfi caretaker committee have been meeting with the view to resolving the crisis in other to position the PDP for the Edo and Ondo governorship polls.

    “We are already negotiating, negotiations and talks are already in top gear and we have made remarkable progress in the process of resolving the issues.

    “The two parties are talking very seriously in various fronts, and these talks have progressed. Last week the two major contenders were to meet, but for one reason or the other, one of them travelled and the meeting was postponed.

    “But the meeting will take place as quickly as possible and I want to assure you that the end is in insight and peace is achievable,” he stated.

     

  • ‘Only Sheriff can present PDP candidate for Edo poll’

    ‘Only Sheriff can present PDP candidate for Edo poll’

    The Ali Modu Sheriff camp of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that only the camp is allowed by law to field a candidate for the upcoming governorship election in Edo State.

    The group during the week gave the party’s governorship ticket to Mr. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, thereby challenging the candidature of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu who was ratified by the rival Ahmed Makarfi – led caretaker committee.

    At a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, a key member of the Sheriff group, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, insisted that Sheriff remained the only recognized national chairman of the PDP.

    “We have a point blank court judgment affirming Sheriff as the recognized PDP chairman that is allowed to submit names of governorship candidates for the Edo and Ondo States governorship elections, “ Ojougboh said.

    He dismissed calls by the Makarfi camp for Sheriff’s arrest by the security agencies, saying if there is anyone to be arrested at all, it should be Makarfi and his group members.

    Ojougboh said the Port Harcourt court judgment, for which the Makarfi group accused Sheriff of contempt had been appealed and that a stay of execution had been filed in respect of the said judgment.

    A court in Port Harcourt had on July 4, affirmed the removal of Sheriff as PDP chairman and had also recognized the Makarfi committee as the authentic leadership of the party.

    But Sheriff ignored the judgment and had gone ahead to field a parallel candidate for the PDP in the Edo governorship election.

    Dr. Ojougboh stated that Sheriff‘s group has been making efforts to reconcile with the Makarfi camp adding however that the Makarfi faction must be ready to recognize Sheriff as chairman before reconciliation.

    “Arrangements are being made for reconciliation with the Makarfi camp. But Sheriff must be given recognition as chairman for any progress to be made in the reconciliation efforts.

    “Recognition for Sheriff is the only panacea for peace in the PDP. Sheriff is ready to address the party’s flawed state and local government congresses that led to the crisis in the PDP,” Ojougboh said.