Former President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday endorsed Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman of the troubled
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But the party’s key stakeholders, including governors, Board of Trustees (BoT) members, National Assembly Caucus and former ministers, passed a vote of confidence in the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee.
Jonathan’s endorsement came amid protests by the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee and other critical organs of the party against the Appeal Court’s ruling that affirmed Sheriff’s chairmanship.
Receiving Sheriff and members of his team at his Maitama, Abuja residence yesterday, Jonathan, who kept addressing Sheriff as “my chairman”, said there were no factions in the party.
Speaking after a closed door meeting with Sheriff and his team, Jonathan said: “We are not factionalised. We are one. There are bound to be differences in politics. We cannot run away from that.
“It is the way we resolve these differences that makes us human beings and that is what makes us leaders. I have met with Sheriff. And I have met with others. I will still meet with others, so that we will be able to do what is expected of us as a political party.”
Also speaking after the meeting, Sheriff said his mission was to unite the party and place it on a sound footing to provide credible opposition to the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.
Saying he was still consulting, Sheriff stressed that there could be only one national chairman, adding: “We are putting everything together to ensure that the party is united.”
“We are not fighting and this is no time to join issues with people. We want everybody to come back to the party. Very soon I will get back to you when I finish my consultations. I won’t tell you anything before I finish consultations.” He added that the constitution of the party does not recognise a caretaker committee.
“There is only one PDP and there is only one national chairman. A group of people has the right to sit and discuss as only a group of people but not as PDP. If I go down to their level to exchange words with them, then I would not be different from them.
“We don’t have anything like caretaker committee in our party. As father of the party, I will make sure everybody is united. I will make sure that everybody gets what they want in PDP.
“By the time I finish my convention, Nigerians will know that we mean well for the party,” Sheriff said.
At the enlarged stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Caretaker Committee, party chieftains took turns to denounce Sheriff, vowing to pursue the leadership tussle to the Supreme Court.
