By Despite several organs of the People’s Democratic Party, including the party’s National Assembly Caucus, Governors’ Forum, Board of Trustees and other major stakeholders passing a vote of no confidence in Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman, former President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has endorsed him, as he called him “my Chair” and also disclosed that there was no fraction in the party.
This was disclosed on Monday when the former Governor of Borno State paid a courtesy to the former leader in his Abuja home.
Speaking after a closed door meeting with Sheriff, Jonathan said, “We are solving our problems. There are bound to be differences in politics. It is the way we resolve these differences that makes us human beings and that is what makes us leaders. We are not factionalised. We are one. I have met with Sheriff. And I have met with others. I will meet with others, so that we will be able to do what is expected of us as a political party”.
Also speaking, Sheriff who noted that he will not join issues with anybody said, “If I go down to their level, it means we are the same. We only have one PDP and only one chairman. We are putting things together to ensure that the party is united. We don’t want to have a divided house. We only have one PDP; we don’t have anything like Caretaker Committee.”
In the visit to the former president, Sheriff was accompanied by his deputy, Dr Cairo Ojougboh; Prof Olawale Oladipo; spokesman of the party, Hon Bernard Mikko, among others.
Meanwhile, various organs of the PDP, including some major stakeholders yesterday rejected the Court of Appeal judgment which recognised Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as Chairman of the party.
To this effect, they disclosed that they have lodged an appeal at the Supreme Court against the decision of the appellate court, as well as an application for interim injunction stopping the execution of appeal court verdict pending the apex court judgment.
This was contained in the communiqué by the party organs after a meeting held at the residence of the Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, in Abuja.
The larger stakeholders meeting under Makarfi’s leadership yesterday all organs of the party in attendance, including Board of Trustees, the PDP governor’s forum, the National Assembly caucus, PDP former ministers forum, national vice chairmen, state chapters represented by the Conference of State Party Chairmen, leadership of state assembly caucuses.
