2-IN-1 STORY: How I Was Betrayed At PDP’s National Convention In Port Harcourt — Ali Modu Sheriff; Makarfi Named Interim Chairman

From left: PDP acting national chairman, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, Sen Hope Uzodinma and former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim, at a press briefing announcing the cancellation of the party’s 2016 National Convention in Port Harcourt yesterday Photo: Victor Chuks

The crisis within the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party is far from over, with Ali Modu Sheriff claiming he remained the national chairman of the party, despite being sacked by a national convention.

The report continues:

Mr. Sheriff was sacked at the PDP convention held on Saturday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and the National Executive Committee which he headed, replaced with a caretaker committee.

Inuwa Bwala, the spokesperson for Mr. Sheriff, told PREMIUM TIMES around 8.41pm on Saturday that Mr. Sheriff remained opposed to what happened at the Port Harcourt convention, since he had announced its suspension after consulting with members of the National Working Committee of the party.

“Immediately the chairman (Sheriff) received another court injunction, he called a meeting of the National Working Committee and told them that it wasn’t safe to continue with the convention of the party, especially since the court had forbidden elections virtually into all the offices,” Mr. Bwala said.

“He announced the suspension of the convention at a press briefing, only for some people to go behind and claim that there was convention.

“There was no organ of the party that was represented at the convention.

“The convention was cancelled, and it remains cancelled until such a time the matters in court are resolved, for us to convene another national convention.”

Mr. Bwala said Mr. Sheriff remained the national chairman of the PDP, going by the pronouncement of the court.

 “The court had said the office of the chairman would become vacant only in 2018, and that is parts of the reasons we shelved the convention,” said Mr. Bwala.

When asked why the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, and the Senate Minority Leader, Godwill Akpabio, parted ways with Mr. Sheriff, Mr. Bwala responded, “Some of them wanted to go on with the convention even with the subsisting court orders, and Sheriff said no. And that was their point of departure.”

Mr. Bwala said Mr. Sheriff felt betrayed in Port Harcourt.

“Naturally, you will feel betrayed if you are working with some people, only for them to go behind you to work against what you all agreed to do.”

The motion to sack Mr. Sheriff was moved at the convention by Mr. Akpabio, at the Port Harcourt Civic Centre.

In his motion, Mr. Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, asked the convention to approve the appointment of a committee to manage the affairs of the PDP for a period not exceeding 90 days.

“The committee shall be known as the National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party,” Mr. Akpabio said, while addressing delegates at the convention.
Mr. Akpabio said the caretaker committee would also work to foster peace and reconciliation of all party members, as part of its terms of reference.

The motion was seconded by the Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo, thereby paving the way for the election of a seven-man caretaker committee headed by the former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi.

The voice vote was conducted by the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike.

Ben Obi, who represents the South East in the caretaker committee, is the secretary. Other members of the committee include Odion Ugbesia, a former senator from Edo State, and Abdul Ahmed Ningi, from Bauchi.

The convention, which had all the 12 governors of the PDP-controlled states in attendance, went up till about 6pm.

There was an understanding that no member of the caretaker committee would contest for election into the National Executive Committee.

The immediate past senate president, David Mark, was present at the convention.

The Speaker, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Onofiok Luke disclosed what happened at the Port Harcourt convention was “for the purpose of inclusion.”

Mr. Luke said, “The convention was fixed by NEC, and therefore it is only NEC that has the power to suspend the convention.

“I am a loyal party man. So, I go with the party.”
As the convention drew to a close around 6 pm, delegates hurried out of the venue even before the national anthem was sang, and the idle ballot boxes, beautifully designed, stood out as a reminded that the biggest opposition party in Africa still had a major inconclusive business at hand.

Makarfi Named Interim Chairman

*Committee Given 3 Months to Hold Fresh Convention *Mantu, Adeniran Emerge Factional Co-Chairmen *Why I Was Chosen – Makarfi

Daily Trust reports that the leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new dimension yesterday as its embattled acting national chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, was sacked from his position during the party’s convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The convention appointed the former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi, as chairman of PDP’s National Caretaker Committee.

This was as another faction of the party, led by a former minister of information, Prof Jerry Gana, held a parallel convention in Abuja where it ratified the appointment of former deputy Senate president, Ibrahim Mantu and Professor Tunde Adeniran, as co-chairmen of the party. 

Makarfi emerged by voice vote at the National Convention of the party.

He emerged after the dissolution of the Sheriff-led National Working Committee, (NWC) and other national officers of the party at the convention.

Senator Ben Obi emerged the national secretary of the committee. Other members include Senator Odion Ugbesia, Senator Abdul Ningi, Barrister Kelvin Usman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye and Hon. Aisha Aliyu.

The committee would hold office for three months to prepare for another convention.
It was not clear why the election of new executive and the NWC could not hold, but Senator Sheriff had earlier called off the convention, citing court injunctions.
However, the convention was convened and a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Austin Opara, moved the motion to dissolve the party’s NEC and NWC. It was seconded by another former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Emeka Ihedioha.

Thereafter, the chairman of the National Convention Committee and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike put the question and the motion was affirmed by the delegates.
The convention also dissolved the decisions taken by the NWC and zoning of offices. It was moved by a former governor of Niger State, Dr Babangida Aliyu and seconded by the governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa.

It was gathered that the zoning of offices as planned by the zoning committee sharply divided the ranks of the party.

An inside source told Daily Trust on Sunday that at the Government House in Port Harcourt, where top brass of the party met before moving to the convention venue, majority of them disagreed with the zoning arrangement. They, however, agreed that the zoning of the presidency for the 2019 elections should remain in the North.

According to the source, Governor Wike had wanted a soft landing for Sheriff, but majority of those present rejected the proposal that he be appointed chairman of the Caretaker Committee.

In his acceptance speech, Makarfi explained that: “When I arrived Port Harcourt, I heard that a meeting was going on at the Government House, so I headed straight to the place. As soon as I arrived, people started approaching me and asking what we could do to save our party. They said, ‘If we ask you to carry out an assignment could you agree?’ And I said to them that if it is aimed at rebuilding the party, I would do it. 

“The party has given us this duty because it believes in us. We will do our best. We are not interested in vying for any position.”

At the Abuja convention, a former deputy Senate President, Mantu and Professor Adeniran were adopted as coordinators of the party pending when the next national convention of the faction would be held.

Although the date for their next convention was not announced, the convention also ratified a 57-member steering committee that would administer its affairs nationwide.

A member of the Steering Committee, Chief Dubem Onyia, moved a motion that: “In compliance with the court order, Mantu and Adeniran should run the party until the next convention.”

Addressing the convention, Mantu, who enumerated the achievements of the PDP during its 16 years, also agreed there were mistakes that needed to be addressed by the “Concerned PDP Stakeholders” in order to deepen democracy in the country.

He said the stakeholders viewed the extension of the PDP national chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s tenure by the National Working Committee (NWC) as “null and void” as the National Executive Committee (NEC) cannot grant any such extension under the party’s constitution.

He added that the Gana-led faction was aimed at rebuilding, renewing and re-branding the party to anchor the dreams of its founding fathers and give wings to the hopes of citizens who “live in uncertainty and surrounded by a growing culture of fear.”
He said: “Mindful of our role as elders and conscience of our great party, we the elders reviewing recent events have come to the painful conclusion that the culture of impunity, disdain for democratic norms and utter disregard of our party’s constitution, behaviours that brought us to the 2015 loss, are rearing its ugly head again.”

Prof Gana on his part, said the PDP would be united, alive and moved forward, adding, “We want to promote a free and democratic Nigeria where power belongs to the people and ensure inclusion.”

A former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bala Mohammed said: “We are now bringing to Nigeria a new product. We want to provide a level playing field for all Nigerians to provide quality leadership that will transform Nigeria.”

Among the Steering Committee members ratified at the convention are Senator Ibrahim Mantu, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Hajiya Inna Ciroma, Amb. Nkoyo Toyo, Mallam Shehu Gabam, Chief Raymond A. A. Dokpesi, Princess Rabi Ibrahim, Hajiya Mairo Habib, Amb. Wilberforce Juta, Arch. Ibrahim Bunu, Alh. Adamu Maina Waziri, Prof. Jerry Gana, Sen. Joseph Akaagerger, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman, Sen. Bala Mohammed, Barr. Tanimu Turaki, Rt. Hon. Gambo Sallau, Senator Zigo Azeez, Chief Ishola Sarafa, Hajiya Zainab Maina, Chief (Mrs.) Remi Adiukwu, Iyom Josephine, Anenih, Dr. Hon. Morrof Akiwande and Amb. Ojo Maduekwe.