Again, Sheriff rejects Makarfi, attributes PDP crisis to impunity

June 7, 2016 5:03 pm

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is far from over as Ali Modu Sheriff, former chairman of the party, has yet again expressed reservation over the caretaker committee.

Back in May when the committee was inaugurated in Port Harcourt, Sheriff described it as a “contraption”, vowing to challenge the process through which Ahmed Makarfi emerged.

Though there have been many attempts to reconcile warring factions in the opposition party, the PDP has not been able to put its house in order.

The last of such meetings held at the Wadata Plaza headquarters of the PDP in Abuja on Tuesday, where the party’s board of trustees (BoT) handed over the party’s secretariat to Makarfi.

Sheriff was absent at the meeting, but Makarfi said his rival did not attend because he was outside the country.

But reacting through Inwa Bwala, his spokesman, Sheriff accused the party leaders of impunity.

“Our attention has been drawn to the activities at the national secretariat of the PDP to the effect that some individuals masquerading as leaders have handed over to Ahmed Makarfi under a contraption called ‘caretaker committee’,” read a statement issued on Sheriff’s behalf.

“We state as a matter of fact that going by proceedings still pending in the courts to the effect that Senator Ali Sheriff remains the national chairman, whatever transpired was null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

“Sheriff has not mandated anybody, nor was his authority obtained by Uche Secondus, who has been parading himself as acting on behalf of the national chairman.

“While we await the verdicts of the courts, we wish to state that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is and remains the national chairman of the party, until otherwise declared by the courts.

“We allowed the charade to go on at the secretariat without any form of challenge in strict obedience to careful pronouncement on the matter, but we must also state that there is no gathering of groups or individuals, however powerful, such groups or individuals may be, that can be said to take precedence over the law.

“For the avoidance of doubts, we state categorically that what took place at the PDP secretariat on Tuesday June 7, 2016 was a total disregard to court orders. And an extension of the impunity for which the party has been accused of and which has taken the party to where it is today.

“The public should disregard all the actions and pronouncements.”