PDP crisis: There can be no meeting point with Sheriff —Caretaker c’ttee

Abuja— The peace initiative by former President Goodluck Jonathan to find a political solution to the leadership crisis in People’s Democratic Party, PDP, appears to have collapsed finally as the chairman of the caretaker committee of the party, Ahmed Makarfi, yesterday, declared that there can be no meeting point between the committee and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
Makarfi’s position came on a day Senator Ali Modu Sheriff announced that he had written to all the organs of the party to forward the names of their members to be included in the convention planning committee that he intended to set up.



Alimodu-Sheriff
Meanwhile, two members of the House of Representatives, yesterday, declared support for the Ali Modu Sherrif-led faction.
The two lawmakers, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, PDP, Edo and Oni Olamide, PDP, Ekiti, briefed journalists where they declared their support for Sheriff.
But in a quick reaction, Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, rubbished the position of the lawmakers, declaring that the 140 PDP membership of the House of Representatives were solidly behind the PDP caretaker committee, led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, spokesman of the caretaker committee, Dayo Adeyeye, called on Senator Sheriff to stop parading himself as the chairman of the party on the strength of Justice Vincent Ashi of Abuja High Court which ruled that Sheriff’s chairmanship was illegal.
Prince Adeyeye said: “Given the lawless and untoward behaviour of Senator Sheriff so far, it appears that there will be no meeting point in this matter.
‘’However, without prejudice to the appeal suit before the Supreme Court challenging the recent judgement of the Court of Appeal, the National Caretaker Committee working for the organs of the party and the people is not averse to reconciliation processes that may result in a workable ‘political solution’ as proposed by the Governors’ Forum with the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
“The present illegally constituted NWC, led by Senator Sheriff, must stop operations on behalf of the party immediately. We want to state unequivocally that the party will not hold any National Convention under the leadership of Senator Sheriff.”
Addressing a separate press conference in Abuja, yesterday, Senator Sheriff said: “From today (yesterday), I am going to meet with all the organs of the party and collect their list of membership, with a view to picking their members to be part of the convention committee.”
‘’We are going to have the list of National Assembly, the Board of Trustees and we are writing them formally on that, so that we can collect the specific numbers that are required.”