PDP Crisis Takes A Turn For The Worse As Former Govs, Ministers Reject Makarfi

Despite the sacking of former Borno State governor, Ali Mody Sheriff as the chairman of the party, the crisis in the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party may be far from over as the appointment of Makarfi to steer the ship of the party has been rejected by some members of the party.

Makarfi was at the Portharcourt Convention on Saturday appointed as the chairman of the Caretaker Committee, but former governors and ministers in the party rejected the appointment.

The former ministers and governors spoke shortly after they heard the reports from Port Harcourt, where a faction of the party held its national convention.

They were joined by some former members of the National Assembly in condemning the incident following the sacking of Sheriff.

While they welcomed the removal of the former governor of Borno State, they said the party’s BoT should be mandated to run the affairs of the party afterwards.

A former President of the Senate, Sen. Ibrahim Mantu, and a former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, spoke on behalf of the group.

Mantu said, “First and foremost, we want to thank our members throughout the nation for giving us the support that actually led us to achieving some of the goals we set for ourselves.

“We were opposed to the zoning and indeed the zoning has been cancelled or set aside.

“We were also opposed to the convention taking place and the convention did not take place courtesy of the court.

“Again, we were opposed to the way the congresses had been conducted; they fell short of our expectations. These congresses and conventions had been set aside.

“This group can confidently say that we have achieved all the targets we set to achieve.”

The group added that it was opposed to the appointment of a caretaker committee.

Tanimu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said, “It is there in our constitution that in a situation like this that is unprecedented, the BoT, the conscience of the party as the fathers of the party, should step in immediately. There shouldn’t be any vacuum.

“And we are concerned that what is coming out of the party from Port Harcourt may likely deepen our disagreement.

“In this situation, therefore, the BoT leadership must take up its responsibilities over the reins of the affairs of the party and bring all the members of our party back home for us to sit down and find a way forward as members of one family.”