National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, is gradually consolidating on his hold as the party’s helmsman. One of his moves is his appointment of Senator Sa’idu Umar Kumo as his Special Adviser on National Assembly Relations. Kumo was one of the chairmanship aspirants who refused to step down for Sheriff and had to slug it out with the new party boss in the recent election conducted by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party to elect a new party National Chairman. In the same vein, Sheriff also appointed Inusa Mohammed as his Principal Secretary, while Uche Nnaji was named as the Political Adviser to the National Chairman. Senator Ighoyota Amori, who was recently sacked by the Court of Appeal as the lawmaker representing Delta Central, was appointed as Special Adviser, Reconciliation and Conflict Management.
Tag: Sheriff
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Sheriff: I ‘ll quit PDP chair in May
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff has pledged to relinquish his position in May, in line with the directive of the party’s principal organs.
“I will not stay a day longer than the period prescribed for me by the Board of Trustees, the National Executive Committee, the National Assembly Caucus, the PDP Governors Forum and the constitution of our party.
“Within the next few days, I’ll put in place programmes for party congresses and convention that will stand the test of time,” Sheriff declared.
The PDP National Chairman spoke yesterday at the party’s national secretariat, while receiving some former members of the House of Representatives, led by ex-Deputy Speaker, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha.
Sheriff said events in the party within the past few weeks, leading to his emergence as chairman, had aroused the consciousness of Nigerians and the international community.
Describing himself as a man of character and integrity, the party’s chairman said he would soon start consultations with the key organs of the party, with the view to coming up with programme for the national convention.
Addressing the executive members of the Benue State PDP chapter, who also visited him, Sheriff described a rally held by the Benue State All Progressives Congress (APC) as shameful.
“You don’t hold a rally after losing election. Rather, you should be sober for losing election with a margin of over 10, 000 votes,” Sheriff said.
The rally was held to protest what the APC described as irregularities in the conduct of the Benue South rerun election won by PDP candidate Senator David Mark.
The Benue delegation had complained of harassment and intimidation by the state APC, alleging that state apparatus was being used by the state government to persecute PDP members.
State PDP Chairman Mr. Emmanuel Agbo, who led the delegation, expressed apprehension over the arrest and detention of former Interior Minister Mr. Abba Moro.
Moro, who is the Director General of David Mark’s senatorial campaign, is being held for the 2014 Immigration recruitment scam in which 19 applicants were trampled to death at recruitment centres.
Agbo also complained about continued attacks on the Agatu community in the state, saying they were being persecuted for voting for Mark in February 20 rerun election.
Sheriff promised to take up the matter with the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase.
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PDP crisis: I will meet Sheriff in court, says Fani-Kayode
A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode yesterday said he was prepared to meet the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), Sen. Modu Ali Sheriff in court over his condemnation of Sheriff’s choice.
Fani- Kayode, who made his position known in a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Jude Ndukwe, said the days of silencing people with threats had gone.
The statement said: ‘’We read the newspaper advert in which Ali Modu Sheriff has threatened to sue Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.
“Though we have not received a formal letter from his lawyers to that effect we wish to inform him and members of the public that we have briefed our lawyers, we welcome the suit and we shall gladly meet him in court.
“The days of silencing people with arrogant threats and frivolous litigation are long over. We cannot be silenced by Modu Sheriff’s threat to sue and we are not losing any sleep over it.
“Such a course of action will prove not only to be counter-productive for him but by the time it is all over he will get the shocker of his life’’.
The Forum of ex- PDP Ministers had last week warned Sheriff over recourse to threats against Fani-Kayode.
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Dickson meets ex-ministers, rallies support for Sheriff
Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, at the weekend embarked on a fence-mending mission with former ministers in the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan to rescue the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The forum of ex-minister has refused to recognise the new national chairman of the party, Ali Modu Sheriff, describing his emergence as unacceptable.
Dickson appealed to the ex-ministers to bury the hatchet and work with Sheriff to move the PDP forward.
Some of the ex-ministers at the meeting included former Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau; former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode; former Minister of Women Affairs, Chief (Mrs.) Josephine Anenih; former Minister of Power, Mohammed Wakil and former Minister of Special Duties and chairman of the forum, Kabiru Turaki.
Seriake called for organisation of a transparent and credible National Congress in the next three months.
The Congress, he said, should carry every interest group and foster unity in the party.
He advised the former ministers against litigation and divisive inflammatory comments in the media over the emergence of Sheriff.
The governor also called on the National Working Committee (NWC) to produce a timetable soonest that will lead to the conduct of a conclusive and transparent convention.
He specifically urged them to align themselves “with the position already taken by National Executive Council (NEC) in respect of the leadership issues affecting the party.”
Dickson, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Markson-Iworiso, was appreciated at the end of the consultative interactions.
The statement said: “The governor commended the former ministers for the inclusion of all members who served between 1999 till date, which has created a diverse blend of human assets which the party need especially now that the PDP is in opposition.
“Dickson urged them to join hands with other leaders and statutory organs of the party in the onerous task of re-building and re-positioning the party.”
|Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, at the weekend embarked on a fence-mending mission with former ministers in the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan to rescue the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The forum of ex-minister has refused to recognise the new national chairman of the party, Ali Modu Sheriff, describing his emergence as unacceptable.
Dickson appealed to the ex-ministers to bury the hatchet and work with Sheriff to move the PDP forward.
Some of the ex-ministers at the meeting included former Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau; former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode; former Minister of Women Affairs, Chief (Mrs.) Josephine Anenih; former Minister of Power, Mohammed Wakil and former Minister of Special Duties and chairman of the forum, Kabiru Turaki.
Seriake called for organisation of a transparent and credible National Congress in the next three months.
The Congress, he said, should carry every interest group and foster unity in the party.
He advised the former ministers against litigation and divisive inflammatory comments in the media over the emergence of Sheriff.
The governor also called on the National Working Committee (NWC) to produce a timetable soonest that will lead to the conduct of a conclusive and transparent convention.
He specifically urged them to align themselves “with the position already taken by National Executive Council (NEC) in respect of the leadership issues affecting the party.”
Dickson, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Markson-Iworiso, was appreciated at the end of the consultative interactions.
The statement said: “The governor commended the former ministers for the inclusion of all members who served between 1999 till date, which has created a diverse blend of human assets which the party need especially now that the PDP is in opposition.
“Dickson urged them to join hands with other leaders and statutory organs of the party in the onerous task of re-building and re-positioning the party.”
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Modu Sheriff’s many challenges
Senator Modu Sheriff’s emergence as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened the leadership crisis that has bedeviled the party for years. Though some observers blamed the development on the controversial circumstances that led to his emergence, investigation by The Nation shows that his personality and his political background may have largely informed the sharp division that trailed his emergence as the chairman of the party.
Before his emergence as the National Chairman of PDP, the party, which was described as Africa’s biggest political party between 2000 and 2011, was in desperate need of a leader that would be acceptable to all stakeholders in the party, a leader that would resolve the seemingly unending internal crises both at the central body and at the various state chapters.
But as soon as the former governor of Borno State was picked ahead of 29 other aspirants by the National Caucus of the party, comprising the governors, members of the National Working Committee and the leadership of the National Assembly, the leadership crisis in the party took a more confrontational twist as agitators openly called for his immediate resignation.
At the forefront of such agitation was a forum formed by members of the party who served as ministers between 1999 and 2015. The ministers called for Sheriff’s removal in a communiqué, signed by a former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki and issued at the end of an unusual meeting they held in Abuja days after Sheriff’s emergence.
Explaining that the forum “rejects Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff as National Chairman of the PDP due to the illegitimacy of the process that purportedly brought him in,” the former ministers said the PDP must conduct congresses at all levels of the party, leading to a National convention that should be held before March 28 “to return power to the people in tandem with the constitution of our Party and as encapsulated in our party’s motto: ‘Power to the People’”.
The ministers added that “The forum condemns all acts of impunity in the running of the affairs of the party, at all levels and implores all members to respect the constitution of the party and that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Grouse of North-East zonal wing
Aside criticism of the way Sheriff emerged, which his opponents described as imposition by the governors; another major factor that may have facilitated opposition to his leadership of the party is what an insider described as his poor personal relationship with other leaders of the party in the North-East zonal wing. “Since his days as governor of Borno State, Alhaji Sheriff has been a political burden to most of us his aides, because he had many strong political enemies in the zone and he had remained unwilling to mend fences, preferring to be an island on his own. As you can easily see, this attitude had affected most of us, his known aides, associates and loyalists. Marked as his loyalists, his political enemies group us also as their enemies,” lamented one of his close associates who begged not to be named. The associate, a top politician in his own rights, explained that it is this unfortunate relationship that made Sheriff’s political enemies to oppose his emergence as PDP National Chairman with such vehemence.
It would be recalled that one of the earliest known groups, which openly opposed Sheriff’s leadership of PDP, christened ‘the PDP Rescue Group’, said they were opposed to his leadership because he was not one of the aspirants presented by the zone’s caucus.
Leader of the group, former governor of defunct Gongola State, Ambassador Wilberforce Juta, admitted clearly that their call for Sheriff’s resignation was hinged on the fact that he was not one of the nominees sent by the North-East caucus to the national leadership of the party for assessment and confirmation.
“The North-East zonal wing, having been directed by the National Caucus of the party to forward nominees from the zone, did not nominate Senator Sheriff for the position of national chairman. In the interest of the PDP and the country, Senator Sheriff should do the needful by stepping down honorably as it is evident that party members nationwide overwhelmingly reject his imposition.
“We call for early Congresses and National Convention to elect party leaders as the term of the current leadership is due to end in March 2016. Under no guise should the tenure of the current leadership of the party be extended, if we must make the needed fresh beginning. We make this statement in the best interest of the party and the country”.
Also alluding that their opposition of his leadership of the party was based on their understanding of his person, Ambassadore Juta had said, “Given that PDP is now a major opposition party; it is the duty of every PDP member to ensure that party leaders possess high integrity and leadership skills.”
Sheriff and Boko Haram allegations
Another major factor that may have further promoted opposition of Sheriff’s leadership of PDP is the allegation that he is connected to Boko Haram terrorists. The former governor and Senator has severally denied this allegation. But as soon as his name emerged as one of the possible candidates for the party’s national chairmanship seat, the allegation was resurrected by his opponents and critics.
When on February 17, 2016, about 15 former ministers who served in Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s administration met in Asokoro over the controversies trailing Sheriff’s emergence as the National Chairman of their party, they said the former governor of Borno State cannot lead the party at this point of its history, some of them alluded to the rumour linking him to Boko Haram as the major reason the party cannot allow him to lead it.
“For several times, he has been identified with the issue of Boko Haram, though he has yet to be indicted. But perception matters a lot. We can’t be defending that toga now. We don’t have such time,” one of the ex-ministers said.
Other reports identified, former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, as one of the party’s big wigs that may have expressed regret that PDP would chose Sheriff to lead it notwithstanding his alleged connection with the dreaded terrorist group, Boko Haram. On that basis, they asked Sheriff to resign.
As would be expected, Sheriff refused to be cowed by such criticisms and calls to resign. “I won’t resign because the leadership of the party, in their wisdom, chose me to lead the PDP for the purpose of rebuilding and repositioning the party at this critical period,” he insists.
Expressing resolve to reconcile with his army of opponents, he said, “I will leave no stone unturned. I will go to everybody for support. I will bring everybody on board. Let those who were not consulted before I was appointed forgive all of us for whatever wrongs that have been made.”
Exonerating himself of the Boko Haram allegation in a recent interview with a national newspaper, which he said emanated from the imagination of some writers; Sheriff said “Few days after I became the chairman of the PDP, Ali Sheriff is now Boko Haram; so if you are in APC you are not a Boko Haram. Throughout my period in APC, nobody said I was Boko Haram. Immediately I left the APC, I was termed Boko Haram.”
“Nobody in my family or relation is Boko Haram or close to any Boko Haram member. These people that wanted to kill me, up till today, if they have the chance, they will kill me because they think I reported them to Yar’Adua who leveled their places of worship and along the line, their leader was killed.
“And that was my crime and why they wanted to kill me. But people that are afraid of me changed the story and they keep on doing it. Every day, they write different things but you and I know that nobody is above the laws of Nigeria. I believe that President Buhari, even if it is his son or blood brother that is a Boko Haram, he will arrest and prosecute him. So, the allegation is the figment of the imagination of the writers,” he said.
It would be recalled that during the tenure of former President Goodluck Jonathan, there was allegation that he was too close to the then president to be probed on the allegation of his links with Boko Haram. At a point, especially after he visited Maiduguri with security cordon that included about 200 soldiers.
The matter made so much headlines that Jonathan had to state publicly that he would not hinder any probe of the allegation against Sheriff.
His political clout:
His close associates said Sheriff’s criticism is more connected to the many political battles he has fought over the years. He joined politics before 1999 as a very influential and rich personality. He was first elected senator representing Borno Central on the platform of United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) during the ill-fated transition programme of General Sani Abacha’s regime and re-elected senator representing Borno Central on the platform of All Peoples Party (APP), which later metamorphosed to All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). In 2003, he became the governor of Borno State on ANPP platform and re-elected. His political influence at the national level became well known at the peak of the internal crisis that rocked the ANPP during the leadership of Chief Don Etiebet.
Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu in an attempt to summarize the factors behind Sheriff’s current challenges said, “his troubles are more political than the issue of Boko Haram or even PDP. Over the years, he has opposed powerful forces and has as a result accumulated many political enemies.” It remains to be seen how he will resolve the matter and lead a clearly divided PDP.
Future challenges:
Now that the warring forces seem to have reconciled, there is still the challenge of running a deeply dived opposition party. Many are concerned and interested in how PDP would fare under Sherriff.
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PDP BoT, Rescue Group disagree on Sheriff’s tenure
The three-month tenure extension approved for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Ali Modu Sheriff and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) has become a source of friction.
Rising from a meeting in Abuja yesterday, the PDP Rescue Group, headed by Ambassador Wilberforce Juta queried the rationale and authority under which the extension was granted.
The extension was granted on Tuesday by party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), the NWC, the National Assembly Caucus and the PDP Governors Forum.
But Juta and his group said no organ of the party has the power to extend the tenure of party officials, insisting that Sheriff and other NWC members must vacate office by March 28.
In a statement after the meeting, the Rescue Group said: “We affirm that no authority has the power under the PDP constitution to extend the tenure of nay official or organ of the party. The tenure of the current National Working Committee will expire on March 28, 2016. We expect all party leaders and organs to abide by that.
“It is obvious that our leaders have realised their mistake and appear willing to correct the earlier decision in order to save the party from decimation. We urge them to go the whole hog.
“Congresses and national convention to elect new party leaders at all levels can indeed be conducted in the month of March, 2016.
“Friday, February 26, 2016 marks the third day in line with the seven-day ultimatum handed down by the National Caucus to the NWC to produce a programme leading to the party congresses and national convention.
“We call on all party members and stakeholders, particularly the NEC, the NWC, the BoT, the National Caucus, the National Assembly Caucus, the Ministers Forum, as well as sympathisers of the party and those who are willing to join the party to remain steadfast and henceforth to rise up to challenge impunity and imposition”.
But the BoT argued that Sheriff and the NWC members should be allowed to stay for three months for the unity, cohesion and future successes of the party.
In a communique issued at the end of its meeting in Abuja yesterday, the trustees adopted the three-month tenure extension, warning however, that under no guise must the tenure be extended beyond May.
The communique, signed by Senator Ibrahim Mantu, stated: “In this regard, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and all current members of the National Working Committee must vacate their positions to give way to new leadership within the three months time frame.
“The BoT, which is the conscience of the party, has the moral capital to re-invent the party due to its unity of purpose and internal cohesion.
Also yesterday, , the party fixed Edo State ward congress for March 5, local government congress for March 10, while the state congress will hold on March 14.
The national leadership also approved the appointment of Inuwa Bwala as the Special Assistant (Media) to the National Chairman.
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‘Sheriff’s tenure must end March 28’
Dissatisfied with the three-month grace for the new National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), Sen. Modu Ali Sheriff, some members of the PDP Ministers Forum may go to court to seek an injunction restraining him from leading the party.
They described Sheriff’s election and ratification by the National Executive Committee as illegal.
Also, the ex-ministers have asked Sheriff to step down latest by March 28.
It was learnt that some of the ex-ministers opted for court action following the refusal of some organs of the party to limit Sheriff’s mandate to the completion of the tenure of ex-National Chairman Adamu Mu’azu.
A source in the forum said: “We have weighed all options. Some of our members have decided to go to court to seek an injunction because the process leading to his nomination and selection was illegal.”
These aggrieved members have also resolved to ask the court to stop Sheriff from being the National Chairman of PDP beyond March 28.
“We will file our application in court any moment from now.”
In a communiqué at the end of their session on Tuesday, the ex-ministers rejected the three-month tenure given Sheriff by some organs of the party.
The communiqué, which was signed by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki(SAN) and Chief Ojo Maduekwe, said: “We the Peoples’ Democratic Party ministers from 1999-2015 (hereinafter referred to as ‘The Forum’) met on Tuesday, 23rd February, 2016 in Abuja and deliberated on recent developments in the party, among other issues.
“The forum reiterates and affirms our commitment to the ideals and core values of the founding principles of our great party.
“Having considered the decision of the National Executive Committee of PDP in the last executive Committee meeting of Tuesday 16th February, 2016, the forum resolves as follows:
- The forum rejects Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff as National Chairman of the PDP due to the illegitimacy of the process that purportedly brought him in.
- The forum commends and supports the stand of the Board of Trustees of the Party for their rejection of the imposition of Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff for lack of transparency and internal democracy in the process.
- The forum calls for the conduct of congresses at all levels of the party, leading to a National convention that should be held before the 28th of March, 2016 to return power to the people in tandem with the constitution of our Party and as encapsulated in our party’s motto: “Power to the People”.
- The forum condemns all acts of impunity in the running of the affairs of the party, at all levels and implores all members to respect the constitution of the party and that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
A group, Osun Ibile Forum, has warned Sheriff over his threat against former Aviation Minister , Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.
In a statement signed by its Coordinator , Prince Adeoluwa Adesegun, the group said Chief Fani-Kayode’s statement on Boko Haram was already in public domain.
The group queried why Sheriff should issue personal warning on an issue already of public knowledge.
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BoT to adamant Sheriff: you’re not fit to lead PDP
Acting chair: I won’t resign
‘Fani-Kayode won’t go scot free’
Members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday rose from a marathon meeting to tell Chairman Ali Modu Sheriff —resign.
Acting BoT chairman Senator Walid Jibrin, who presided over the meeting held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, spoke on behalf of the trustees, saying as the conscience of the PDP, the BoT was in the best position to know the right candidate for the job.
The trustees, he said were consulting with other organs of the party on easing out Sheriff.
“We are going to propose viable solution to this problem after we must have consulted with other organs and relevant stakeholders in the party,” Jibrin said. He declined further comments.
At the meeting were Prof. Jerry Gana, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Alhaji Shuabu Oyedokun, Air Commodore Dan Suleiman, Senator Stella Omu, Senator Jonah Jang, Mrs. Josephine Anenih, Senator Adolphus Wabara, Abdullahi Kure and Maina Waziri, among others.
But Sheriff begged his opponents to forgive him.
The former Borno State governor, who spoke at the party secretariat shortly after he officially took over the leadership, said he would not step down.
“I won’t resign because the leadership of the party, in their wisdom, chose me to lead the PDP for the purpose of rebuilding and repositioning the party at this critical period,” Sheriff said.
The chairman said he would promptly embark on consultations with opposing groups and stakeholders with the view to seeking reconciliation and acceptance from all.
“I will leave no stone unturned. I will go to everybody for support. I will bring everybody on board. Let those who were not consulted before I was appointed forgive all of us for whatever wrongs have been made.
“Let us put our differences behind us so that we can overcome our challenges and rebuild the party together. If all stakeholders agree to build the party, PDP will become the biggest party in Nigeria again,” Sheriff pleaded.
According to him, it is normal for people to be aggrieved in such situations, but, in his view, the aggrieved parties should explore internal mechanisms to resolve the differences.
He described aggrieved parties as those who truly love the PDP, adding however that going to the media with their grievances would not solve the problem.
Sheriff promised to unfold his agenda as soon as he gets briefed on the party’s status.
Asked whether he would only complete the truncated tenure of the immediate past chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, which is expected to end next month, Sheriff replied that the party leadership would decide the length of his tenure “at the appropriate time”.
The chairman promised to initiate discussions with chieftains of the party who defected to other parties before the 2015 general elections, with the view to wooing them back to PDP.
He dismissed reports linking him to the Boko Haram terror group, saying he never sponsored the sect. According to him, he was being targeted because he fought the group when he was governor.
According to him, no court has ever linked him to Boko Haram and reports linking him to the group emanated from the imagination of the writers.
“Boko Haram killed my own brother. They killed members of my family. So, why should I sponsor people to kill my own brother, my own family? I am not a fanatic. I love to enjoy my life.
“Boko Haram are criminals who live in the bush and eat once a day. I believe their sponsors will be caught at the end of the day. I have nothing to do with Boko Haram,” Sheriff said.
He singled out a former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode among the people linking him with the terror sect, saying “this time around, people like Fani-Kayode will not go scot-free”.
Sheriff also pointed accusing finger at a former governor of the old Gongola State, Amb. Wilberforce Juta, who is leading the PDP Rescue Group demanding his resignation.
“Juta has no moral ground to ask me to resign because he was among the people that contested the position with me. He scored only one vote and now he has turned around to ask me to resign.
“How can a person that got only one vote ask me to resign. Where is credibility; where is justice? If he did not contest the position with me, maybe I would have listened to him,” he said.
On why he left the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the formative stage, Sheriff said he left on principles, which he said he would not divulge in public.
He promised to make available to the PDP the same instruments with which he helped to make the APC attractive to Nigerians.
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Sheriff must step down, say Juta, Wabara, others
Some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders are calling for a national convention to elect a new set of leaders before the end of March.
The PDP has been wrecked by a deep crisis since Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff became Acting National Chairman.
The PDP Rescue Group (PRG), led by a Second Republic Governor of the old Gongola State, Amb. Wilberforce Juta, is insisting that Sheriff should step down.
Addressing news conference yesterday at the Abuja Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Juta and his group said Sheriff’s appointment was a huge embarrassment to well meaning members of the party.
According to them, the PDP’s coffin was nailed with Sheriff’s appointment. They vowed to mobilise the various organs of the party to see reason why Sheriff’s choice must not stand.
The group rejected claims in some quarters that the new chairman would only complete the tenure of the former chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, which is expected to end in March.
“Allowing Ali Modu Sheriff to stay a day longer as chairman would not be in the interest of the PDP. We call on leaders and all organs in the party to wake up to the reality that Sheriff’s appointment is inappropriate.
“Sheriff was imposed on the PDP with impunity because he was not one of the five aspirants nominated by party leaders in the Northeast zone for the position.
“We will continue to mobilise members and stakeholders to ensure that the right thing is done because with Sheriff as chairman, the PDP cannot provide Nigerians with the type of vibrant opposition that saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeating a ruling party,” the group stated.
Describing Sheriff’s choice as error of judgment on the part of those who installed him, the party chieftains maintained that the error, if not corrected, could destroy the PDP beyond repairs.
Highlighting the Group’s demands in a statement read by Juta, the party chieftains said they were upset by the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to appoint Sheriff as chairman.
“We are convinced that this decision by the NEC is against the will and wish of the generality of faithful members.
“That we know for a fact that the Northeast zonal wing, having been directed by the National Caucus of the party to forward nominees from the zone, did not nominate Sheriff for the position of national chairman.
“That in the interest of the PDP and the country, Sheriff should do the needful by stepping down honourably as it is evident that party members nationwide overwhelmingly reject his imposition.
“That we call on early congresses and national convention to elect party leaders as the term of the current leadership is due to end in March 2016.
“That under no guise should the tenure of the current leadership of the party be extended, if we must make the needed fresh beginning.
“That we make this statement in the best interest of the party and the country without any malice”.
The group observed that the manner of Sheriff’s choice had unleashed unnecessary controversy within the party and beyond, adding that there cannot be any short-cut to the truth.
Stating its determination to see Sheriff out of the chair as soon as possible, the group said: “Part of the derailment from the values of our party over the years is the elevation of imposition over internal democracy as happened in the past.
“Most party faithful do not see in Sheriff a model of impeccable integrity that the PDP badly needs to lead it at this critical moment.
“Given that PDP is now a major opposition party, it is the duty of every member to ensure that party leaders posses high integrity and leadership skills.
“To raise a leader who is lacking in integrity and skills is to throw the party and the nation into inefficiency, indiscipline, disorderliness and even chaos. Sadly, overwhelming reaction of Nigerians to Sheriff’s emergence especially PDP members and leaders, is that of disappointment.”
Juta and his group insisted that the PDP must remodel its leadership on the platform of honesty, as required by its manifesto, if the party must come back to national reckoning.
They expressed the view that it is imperative to redefine and relocate the foundational values of the PDP and recreate its leadership upon such values, both in content and style.
“To this end, we call on all the party organs to rise to the challenge by insisting on the reversal of what is clearly a crude imposition of Sheriff on the party.
“The party organs should commence the search for persons with high integrity, strategic insight and fear of God Almighty to lead the party. It is our considered view that we should endeavour to elect those with such discernible traits.”
Other officers of the PRG are Senator Adolphus Wabara (Deputy Chairman) and Alhaji Mukhtar Shagari (Secretary). Other executive members include Mr. John Odey and Mohammed Wakil, among others.
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PDP LEADERS REACH OUT TO CIROMA, ANENIH, GUSAU OVER SHERIFF
•Jonathan adamant on former Borno gov
•Panic grips NWC members over plans to probe N12b collected from 2015 poll aspirantsWith ex-President Goodluck Jonathan unwilling to shift ground in his support for Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), aggrieved leaders of the party are seeking the intervention of the party’s founding fathers to save the party from collapse.
The aggrieved party members have reached out to former Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Chief Tony Anenih; Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Prof. Jerry Gana, ex-Minister of Defence, Gen. Aliyu Gusau, and several former governors to retrieve the party from some hawks.
Ex-PDP ministers, who met the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Dr. Segun Mimiko, at the weekend on the crisis sparked by Sheriff’s emergence as party chairman insisted that his tenure must end not later than next month as a precondition for peace.
Meanwhile, panic has gripped members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) following plan to probe the whereabouts of the N12billion allegedly collected as nomination fees from aspirants and candidates for the 2015 general election.
The Nation gathered authoritatively last night that the Forum of ex-PDP Ministers had sent a delegation to Anenih, Gusau, former governors, Senators and other founding fathers of the party.
A source familiar with the development said the ex-ministers “have drawn the attention of these leaders to the fact that the party will die any moment from now unless an urgent action is taken to ask Sheriff to resign or quit by March when the tenure of the former National Chairman, Adamu Muazu will expire.
“We told them that many of us will leave the party and opt for political realignment or form a new party with a vibrant opposition focus.
“We have met with Anenih, Danjuma, Gusau, Gana, and other founding fathers. The consultation is still ongoing ahead of our session in Abuja on Tuesday.”
The PDP governors who sponsored Sheriff are said to be disturbed by signals of possible exodus of key leaders from the party on account of the imposition of Sheriff.
Some of the governors, sources said, seem to have now realized that they overrated Sheriff’s popularity.
They may reconsider their position, it was further gathered.
Their dilemma informed Mimiko’s invitation of some former ministers and PDP leaders to Akure on Friday.
A source at the session said: “There was tension at the meeting as members of the delegation complained bitterly about the role of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, governors Ayo Fayose and Nyesom Wike in foisting Sheriff on the party.
“Mimiko, who is the chairman of PDP Governors Forum, appealed for calm in order to enable the leaders of the party to resolve the challenge at hand.
“The governor said defection from PDP is certainly no solution to the crisis at hand. But the Tanimu Turaki-led delegation insisted on the resignation of Sheriff or the end of his tenure by March in line with the zoning of the post to the North-East.”
It was not immediately clear how Mimiko might convince other PDP governors to manage the situation.
At press time, members of the NWC, who hitherto supported Sheriff, had started having a rethink following report that the new national chairman might probe the N12billion which the party collected as nomination fees from aspirants and candidates for the 2015 elections.
Sheriff was said to be disturbed that he inherited a party that is broke and highly indebted.
The reform agenda of Sheriff reportedly leaked to NWC members and the latest development has forced some of them to pitch tents with those against him.
Another source said: “NWC members are panicking now having heard of Sheriff’s agenda to clean the Augean stable in the party.
“They are worried that they have to account for the N12billion nomination fees collected in 2015. This is why up till now no formal handover note has been given to Sheriff. The NWC has been shifting the handover date.”
Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode spoke for the second time in as many days against the selection of Sheriff to lead the party.
He said:” This matter is beyond political parties or partisan politics. It is more about who and what we are as a people. There is no nation on earth apart from Nigeria where a man like Ali Modu Sheriff can be appointed as National Chairman of the leading opposition party.
“The blood of all those that have been butchered by Boko Haram over the last seven years is crying before God in heaven and calling for vengeance and restitution.
“This is not only unacceptable but it is also evil and if I am the only one left in this country that has the decency and courage to say so openly I will continue to do so.”