PDP crisis: Sheriff Groups kicks as BoT endorses Makarfi
Wed Jun 08, 2016 07:34:am Politics
2.3K By Buchi Obichie
Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, the ousted National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, has rejected Tuesday's handover of the party secretariat to the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee.
Sheriff's supporters made this position known in Abuja, on Tuesday; as they reacted to the handover of the party secretariat to the caretaker committee by the party's Board of Trustees earlier in the day.
In a telephone interview with a newspaper house, Prof. Wale Oladipo, former National Secretary of the PDP and a prominent member of the Sheriff-led group, described the handover ceremony as illegal and a breach of pending court cases.
He said, "They know that what they did this morning was an illegality. It is this kind of impunity that brought us to where we are today.
"They know that there are subsisting court orders forbidding them from doing that. So, why should they do that?
"They are elders, who are supposed to be the conscience of the party. The conscience of the party must be composed of people with conscience, people who will respect the rule of law. I will not say more than this for now."
Special Adviser on Media to Senator Sheriff, Mr. Inuwa Bwala, in a statement he signed on Tuesday on behalf of his boss who was said to have traveled out of the country, also dismissed the handover ceremony.
The statement stated, "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 Mohammed Makarfi under a contraption called caretaker committee'.
"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 neither mandated anybody nor was his authority obtained by Uche Secondus, who has been parading himself as acting on behalf of the National Chairman."
According to the statement, while his boss and his supporters await judicial pronouncements on pending court cases, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff remains the National Chairman of the party.
"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," the statement added.
Uche Secondus formally handed the reins of authority to the Makarfi-led caretaker committee earlier in the day. Senator Walid Jibrin, the Chairman of the party's BoT, also handed over the party's assets and liabilities to the committee.
At the handover ceremony, Secondus stated that the party was strong and was working towards ensuring a successful national convention, which would produce leaders, who in turn, would lead the party to victory in 2019.
He said, the "PDP must buckle up and be strong to take power and to provide leadership for this country. Therefore, on behalf of the former National Working Committee, we are here to make a formal handover to the new caretaker committee, who will midwife the convention. And we want to assure you that all politics is local.
"We have to restate here, that all politics are local. Our leaders must go back to the grass roots. It is not enough to be in Abuja. It is not enough to say I am strong in Abuja. It is not enough to say I am a former this, I am a former that. You must be able to prove your worth in local politics and popularity.''
Makarfi however apologised to members of the PDP who might have been offended by the decision taken by the party, and appealed to them to join hands together to build the PDP.
"We appeal to them to embrace dialogue and come and join us to rebuild the party," he added.
Sheriff's supporters made this position known in Abuja, on Tuesday; as they reacted to the handover of the party secretariat to the caretaker committee by the party's Board of Trustees earlier in the day.
In a telephone interview with a newspaper house, Prof. Wale Oladipo, former National Secretary of the PDP and a prominent member of the Sheriff-led group, described the handover ceremony as illegal and a breach of pending court cases.
He said, "They know that what they did this morning was an illegality. It is this kind of impunity that brought us to where we are today.
"They know that there are subsisting court orders forbidding them from doing that. So, why should they do that?
"They are elders, who are supposed to be the conscience of the party. The conscience of the party must be composed of people with conscience, people who will respect the rule of law. I will not say more than this for now."
Special Adviser on Media to Senator Sheriff, Mr. Inuwa Bwala, in a statement he signed on Tuesday on behalf of his boss who was said to have traveled out of the country, also dismissed the handover ceremony.
The statement stated, "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 Mohammed Makarfi under a contraption called caretaker committee'.
"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 neither mandated anybody nor was his authority obtained by Uche Secondus, who has been parading himself as acting on behalf of the National Chairman."
According to the statement, while his boss and his supporters await judicial pronouncements on pending court cases, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff remains the National Chairman of the party.
"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," the statement added.
Uche Secondus formally handed the reins of authority to the Makarfi-led caretaker committee earlier in the day. Senator Walid Jibrin, the Chairman of the party's BoT, also handed over the party's assets and liabilities to the committee.
At the handover ceremony, Secondus stated that the party was strong and was working towards ensuring a successful national convention, which would produce leaders, who in turn, would lead the party to victory in 2019.
He said, the "PDP must buckle up and be strong to take power and to provide leadership for this country. Therefore, on behalf of the former National Working Committee, we are here to make a formal handover to the new caretaker committee, who will midwife the convention. And we want to assure you that all politics is local.
"We have to restate here, that all politics are local. Our leaders must go back to the grass roots. It is not enough to be in Abuja. It is not enough to say I am strong in Abuja. It is not enough to say I am a former this, I am a former that. You must be able to prove your worth in local politics and popularity.''
Makarfi however apologised to members of the PDP who might have been offended by the decision taken by the party, and appealed to them to join hands together to build the PDP.
"We appeal to them to embrace dialogue and come and join us to rebuild the party," he added.
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