• I’m still in shock over Supreme Court verdict, says sacked chairman
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja and John Adams, Minna
Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff and his supporters were locked in a marathon meeting on Wednesday night.
This is even as the former Borno State governor said he was shocked by the judgment of the seven-man panel of justices of the Supreme Court which sacked him and validatedSenator Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic leader of the former ruling party.
Sheriff’s sack of Wednesday ended the 18-month leadership crisis in the party.
The meeting, sources told Daily Sun, was convened by Sheriff to deliberate on the apex court judgment that validated the May 21, 2016 National Convention of the party held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Daily Sun gathered that the marathon meeting held in Sheriff’s private office in the highbrow Maitaima area in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja started at about 8pm and stretched till the early hours of yesterday.
In attendance were members of the sacked PDP National Working Committee and its other supporters in the National Assembly.
It was gathered that at the meeting called to map out the next line of action, the group resolved to meet and consult with more of its supporters around the country.
Options the group discussed at the meeting included whether to remain in the PDP or dump it and pitch tent with another political platform.
“The group is still weighing all the options at its disposal. I can confirm to you that there are quite a number of them. We are yet to reach a compromise but we are making progress,” a source said last night.
Daily Sun was reliably informed that the group would take a definite stand on the court judgment after the series of meetings, consultations and briefing by its lawyers.
In a terse statement released in Abuja and signed by Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh, his erstwhile deputy and Bernard Mikko, factional former spokesperson, Sheriff urged members of the party to remain steadfast in prayers for Nigeria.
“We received with shock the 12th July judgment of the Supreme Court on the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“Though we still await the full written judgment of the highest court from our lawyers who will fully brief us on the details of the judgment, in the interim, we ask all members and supporters to remain steadfast in prayers for Nigeria. “Meanwhile, we continue with our avowed demands that the party must be given back to the owners at the grassroots to always elect their party officials and those to contest elections for them at all levels.
“Internal democracy must be institutionalised in the party,” the statement said.
Sheriff had earlier won at the High Court and the Appeal Court.
Meanwhile, the party has served the All Progressives Congress (APC), a quit notice, as it boasted that the 2019 general election would be a walk over.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, yesterday, National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said going by the jubilation that trailed the Wednesday judgment, it was obvious that Nigerians were fed up with the APC.
He said with its leadership crisis over, the opposition party was poised to give Nigerians a better alternative in 2019.
Adeyeye stated that while the PDP crisis lasted, the APC present administration had a field day. He declared that the “honeymoon” was over for the APC government.
“People are looking for alternatives. The suffering of Nigerians are too much. I want to signal to the APC that we are going to give them a vibrant opposition.We have given them holiday for two years. We are going to make Nigerians see the evils of the present administration. We will role out immediately, 2019 will be a walk over.”
The party spokesman reiterated the position of the caretaker chairman that there was no victor, no vanquished, noting that all PDP members were winners.
Adeyeye who restated that no party member will be punished for their role in the leadership crisis appealed to members of the PDP in various state chapters, who still have cases against the party in courts to withdraw them.
“Our hands of fellowship are extended to those on the other side. Our hands are open to welcome all our members irrespective of whatever role they played in the crisis.We don’t want to draw any line.It is like a general amnesty for everybody.Let everyone come and take their place.
“As for the state chapters, we will do justice to everyone. We appeal to those who have cases in court to withdraw the cases. The party belongs to all of us.
“There are some persons who are illegally holding positions. If you ask them to vacate they will not be happy. But we are going to do justice.”
Adeyeye described protracted leadership crisis as an agonising period for PDP.
He thanked secretariat staff for their steadfastness and commitment to the party.
Similarly, the PDP Caucus in the House of Representatives described the resolution of the leadership crisis as a quit notice to the APC.
Minority Leader, Leo Ogor who briefed journalists after a meeting of the caucus at the National Assembly, said the opposition party would take over in 2019.
“It is quit notice to the APC government. Come 2019, we shall take over. We shall restore true democratic governance where power belongs to the people. Let all Nigerians come on board.’’
The lawmaker said the PDP has put the crisis behind it. He called on party members loyal to Senator Sheriff to come back to the mainstream of the party.
Ogor also urged all those who left party during the crisis to return.
“We acknowledge that it was a family crisis. We congratulate all PDP members that stood firm. We appreciate the judiciary; the verdict was not just for PDP only, but also for democratic principles and a great hope for democracy. For our members that could not stand the heat while we were cooking the meal, we wave the olive branch,” he said.
Barely 24 hours after the apex court ruling, indications emerged that the party would hold its national convention in October.
To achieve a successful convention, the party National Headquarters has directed each state branch to submit 30 names of members that would serve as the convention planning committee.
Niger State chairman of the party, Tanko Beji confirmed this in Minna yesterday shortly after presiding over stakeholders meeting where he briefed members and supporters on the outcome of the Supreme Court judgment.
He said the leadership of the party which met at the Wadata House, Abuja on Wednesday also affirmed the zoning of the presidency in 2019 to the northern part of the country while the vice presidency would go to the south.
He declared that the era of imposition and “no vacancy” was over.
“Anyone with ambition to seek elective office should go to the people, the leadership will not allow imposition of candidates,” he declared.
He said the major focus of the party was how to hold a successful national convention and win the national elections in 2019.
According to him, “ our common enemy is the APC; we should all join hands to chase out the APC in 2019.”