Sheriff Congratulates Makarfi, Vacates National Secretariat, As PDP Fixes Oct For Nat’l Convention

The embattled former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has finally surrendered his struggle for the leadership of the party, even as the PDP has slated October to hold its National Convention for the election of new executives.

In Sheriff’s reaction Thursday, 24 hours after the Supreme Court judgment that nullified his chairmanship, he congratulated the lawfully recognised Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, for his victory.

Sheriff’s surrender came just as Makarfi said that the party would leave its doors open to all aggrieved members, including Sheriff and his group, for reconciliation.

In a short statement posted on Sheriff’s twitter handle, the former Borno State governor said: “The Supreme Court has spoken. I congratulate Senator Makarfi. We must all put our hands together to channel a new course for the PDP.
“Moving forward, we must embrace true reconciliation, so as to be united as a formidable option to send the APC packing in 2019. This is the time to build the PDP and to focus on the future, which includes reclaiming power from the APC.”

Sheriff also vacated the national secretariat of the party, which he had occupied since February after the Appeal Court judgment that recognised him as chairman.

One of his aides was sighted at the PDP secretariat at 1.30 p.m. Thursday after he had gone to Sheriff’s former office on the second floor to remove his personal belongings.

Makarfi responded by assuring Senator Sheriff and his loyalists that they would be given amnesty, and also declared that the 2019 general election will be a walkover for the PDP.

He added that Nigerians had completely lost hope when the opposition party was in crisis.
Also speaking when he met with former ministers at the party’s temporary office in Abuja, Makarfi said that some committees would be set up to resolve some outstanding issues in the South-west.