The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali Modu Sheriff, yesterday, said he will contest for the chairmanship position of the party during the forthcoming convention.
“I have the support of my zone (North-east) to re-contest the chairmanship, I have been endorsed by 450 delegates,” he enthused.
However, in order to douse tension in the party which was mainly created by his ascension to the chairmanship position, Sheriff bowed to pressure and agreed to halt the proposed amendment of the party’s constitution.
The pressure came from a new group, Concerned PDP Stakeholders, led by a former deputy Senate president, Ibrahim Mantu, and former information minister, Prof Jerry Gana, who insisted that the proposed amendment of the party’s constitution must be stopped.
Sheriff and the Concerned Stakeholders, last week, engaged themselves in a media war that nearly broke the party into two factions.
The Mantu group said that the PDP had derailed from its ideals because it was hijacked by hoodlums.
Sheriff, through his aides, replied that those opposed to the chairman should leave the party and threatened to drag the likes of Jerry Ghana to the EFCC.
Sheriff, apparently conscious of the trend of events, weekend, in Jalingo, Taraba State, however, distanced himself from the threats issued by his aides against some party stalwarts, saying he did not authorise his aides to speak on his behalf.
Speaking at the opening session of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting at the national secretariat of the party, yesterday, in Abuja, Sheriff said the PDP governors have met with the Concerned Stakeholders and some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) on Sunday to resolve contending issues.
He, however, said the national convention of the party, slated for May21, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, would hold.
“Most of the problems we have were because of this constitution amendment,” he said.
“In fact, I inherited it. So, whatever the stakeholders want, I will not be opposed to it. That is why when they said it should be stepped down, I agreed. I was not the chairman when they set up the constitution review committee. But today, I will take all the responsibility.”
Sources close to the meetings told Daily Trust that the BoT members and the Concerned Stakeholders had to “swallow their pride” and allow Sheriff to have his way.
“The fact is that at present, only Sheriff has the where withal of keeping the PDP alive…he has the resources and he is willing to spend. All those making noise do not have the resources to keep the party alive. Most importantly, PDP governors have said that they have no problem with Sheriff because he never approached them for any financial support,” he said.
According to another source, Sheriff will give the PDP the needed steam to remain afloat ahead of 2019 elections. “And don’t be surprise that by then, he would have his way as the presidential candidate of the party,” he said.
Apart from Jerry Gana and Mantu, other people that attended yesterday’s meeting included a former Senate president, Adolphus Wabara; former police affairs minister, Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri; Professor Tunde Adeniran; Margaret Icheen; former FCT minister, Abba Gana and former governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang
