Sheriff is PDP leader - Jonathan

As Ekweremadu, PDP govs, others defy police cordon to endorse Makarfi
****Vow to challenge Appeal Court ruling
Abuja— Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, yesterday, continued his appeal for acceptance as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with a high level interaction with former President Goodluck Jonathan, who affirmed him a leader of the party.
President Jonathan’s meeting with Sheriff nonetheless, supporters of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led factional executive of the party, yesterday, defied a police cordon set against them to give a rousing endorsement of his leadership of the party.
The supporters, including serving and former governors, serving and former National Assembly members, former ministers and leading party stakeholders, unanimously resolved to appeal last weekend’s judgment of the Court of Appeal which vested recognition on the factional leadership led by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
The PDP stakeholders vowed that the party would restore Nigeria to the path of economic growth when it returns to power in 2019, noting that the Nigerian currency had become the worst performing in Africa.
Sheriff visits Jonathan
Dr Jonathan, who received Sheriff in his Abuja residence at the end of the meeting, yesterday, declared that despite the problems in the party, it was not factionalised as being touted.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after closed door meeting with Sheriff, Jonathan said the former Borno State governor was a leader of the party.
No factions in PDP
He 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 said he will not join issue with anybody, adding: “if I go down to their level, it means we are the same.”
The former Borno State governor added that he is consulting with leaders of the party, and would address the nation after his consultation.
He said: “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.”
As Ekweremadu, PDP govs, others defy police cordon to endorse Makarfi
His dismissal of the caretaker committee, nonetheless, major party stakeholders, yesterday, flocked towards the stakeholders’ meeting summoned by the Makarfi-led committee.
The meeting initially scheduled for the International Conference Centre in Abuja was eventually relocated to the Abuja private residence of Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State after the venue was sealed off by the police.
Fayose, who was one of the governors who last year forced Sheriff on the party, said his decision to back out was akin to a man who backs out of a marriage after ignorantly making a marriage proposal to a HIV infected woman.
The meeting had in attendance Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, four governors, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, former governors and ministers, members of the Board of Trustees, BoT, as well as chairmen of the PDP in the states.
Senator Makarfi set the tone for the meeting which started mid afternoon by saying that it was to set a course for the party after the Port Harcourt court verdict.
Senator Ekweremadu, who is the highest ranking elected PDP official in the country, in his remarks expressed worry at the manipulation of state institutions, including the police to thwart democracy in the country.
According to him, the solidarity of all key organs and bodies of the party towards the Senator Makarfi leadership despite the court judgment is a clear demonstration that “it is not the hood that makes the monk.”
“We are aware that all the institutions of democracy are being manipulated and harassed in this country. The National Assembly and the press are not left out. The INEC has been captured and now a part of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Our judiciary is being insulted and assaulted every day. Their houses are being attacked very late at night, and the judges are being harassed.
“So, we are not surprised at what we see today (sealing of meeting venue). But what remains is for us to remain resolute.”
Speaking of the Port Harcourt judgment, Senator Ekweremadu said those who purport to benefit from the judgment are not with any organ of the party.
He said with the worsening economic situation in the country, it was obvious that members of the party cannot afford to despair because Nigerians are looking up to the party for a solution.
“They told us that one U.S dollar would be one naira when they take over. Has that happened? Today, our currency is the worst currency in the whole of Africa. Is that the type of democracy we looked forward to? I can see a situation where the price of oil is going up, and the value of naira is going down. What type of economics is that?
Fayose, Wike, others react
Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, who was also the host said the party must remain strong to overcome those who want it to die.
“The judiciary cannot tell us who will be our chairman,” he said, adding that the wish of the majority of the people was for Senator Makarfi to lead the party to the next convention.
In his remarks, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State said no amount of intimidation would dampen the spirit of members of the PDP especially in Rivers State in throwing support for the Makarfi led executive.
The chairman of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin, in his speech said all members of the BoT were with Makarfi, adding that he had been put under pressure by some unnamed persons to abandon Makarfi and declare for Sheriff “but I will never do that. We are going to continue with our support and what we agree with it”.
One of the original nine foundation members of the party, Professor Jerry Gana, urged members of the party to stand resolute in support of Makarfi because “the court of appeal is not the final court on the matter.
Besides Governors Wike and Fayose, Governors Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom were also present. Former Governors Sule Lamido, Jigawa; Ibrahim Shekarau, Kano; Idris Wada; Kogi; Ibrahim Yero, Kaduna and many other former ministers were also present.
At the end of the meeting, the party issued a communiqué vowing to appeal the court decision. The party also condemned the worsening state of the economy.
Vowing to reverse the trend, the communiqué said:
“That in view of the mismanagement of our economy by the APC-led Federal Government, the decline in investor confidence and massive capital flight leading to the Nigerian currency being the worst performing on the African continent; the dehumanization of Nigerians, the abridgement of fundamental human rights, persecution of political opponents, and the return to the dark days of mindless dictatorship and the reign of fear, all leading to a state of helplessness and hopelessness; the PDP reaffirms its commitment to return Nigeria in 2019 to the path of Economic growth and respect for fundamental human rights as guaranteed by our constitution. A PDP-led Federal Government will remove hunger in the land and restore confidence in the Nigerian economy.”