As the leadership tussle in the opposition
Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) continues to
brew, the embattled national chairman of the
party, Ali Modu Sheriff, has said that he will not
heed the call by governors Nyesom Wike, Ayo
Fayose, and a group of ex-ministers from the
party that he should resign his position.
He made this position clear while addressing the
media in Abuja on Sunday night.
Sheriff said that those calling for his resignation
were the same people who came to him pleading
that he should steer the affairs of the party as
national chairman, adding that in the constitution
of the party, there is nothing like ex-ministers’
forum.
He said that he emerged the national chairman
of the party through due process, which involved
a transparent election, hence, there was no point
joining issues with those calling for his
resignation.
The national chairman of the PDP said in as
much as he no longer wished to complete the
tenure prescribed for him in the party’s
constitution due the arguments over the
leadership of the party, he must ensure that he
organizes a national convention for the party in
which a fresh set of leaders acceptable to all
members of the party will emerge before bowing
out of office.
He said that he has spoken with a lot of PDP
governors after the Appeal Court judgement, and
they were all in consonance with him on how
best to move the opposition party forward and
ensure that the PDP reclaims the dominant
position it occupied in the country’s political
space in 1999.
Sheriff said: “I want to assure you that I am not
resigning for anybody. The truth remains that I
did not seek the job of PDP national chairman.
“Governor Nyesom Wike was among the people
that approached me to lead the Party. Therefore,
whatever circumstances that made him to turn
around and make all the statements he has
made to the media about me, I will not join
issues with him, because my records can speak
for itself.
“I have a lot of respect for Governor Wike. For
the fact that he came with others to approach
me to lead the party to this level; I will not join
issues with him. We will wait for the Supreme
Court judgement. The Supreme Court is for
everybody not just for Wike.
“The fact that at one time or the other Wike
(himself) said that I am the most competent
person to lead this party that alone is enough for
me not to join issues with him on some of the
issues that he has raised in the media against
me.
“In the organs of the PDP, there is nothing like
former ministers’ forum. In the first place, it was
not the former ministers that brought me to the
level of becoming a national chairman. I became
a national chairman through a due process, when
the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party
met.
“There were four other people who wanted to be
the chairman at that time; so the issue of the
party chairmanship was put into vote. I got 69
votes and the second in that election got only
nine votes.
“If somebody just wakes up and makes a
statement, like the case of Governor Ayo Fayose
who said that he is speaking on behalf of PDP
Governor’s Forum (PDPGF), it makes me start to
wonder.
“For sure, I have spoken to a lot of governors in
the party after the appeal court judgement, and
all of them are thinking of how we can reposition
the party and build the party so that we can go
and have a credible national convention.
“So, I also do not want to join issues with
governor Fayose and his statements. But what I
want to say is that the PDP will come back. The
PDP will be in the position of 1999 again. So, we
are going on and making consultations all over
Nigeria; putting everybody together so that we
can go and do a convention and elect leaders
who will run the party.
“In party leadership, you have to conduct a
congress and go. But I don’t intend to run the
tenure that was prescribed for me. Since there
are arguments here and there, the best way is to
settle the argument amicably.”
