Crisis: PDP tinkers with new power sharing for Sheriff, Makarfi

 

                                           •Sheriff 

Overwhelmed by three matters in court, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is considering a new option of sharing offices between the faction of its sacked National Chairman, Senator Modu Ali Sheriff, and the Caretaker Committee led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

There is pressure on PDP leaders in the North-East and the two governors of the party in the zone, Ibrahim Dankwambo and Darius Ishaku, to prevail on Sheriff to accept the new option.

Talks were also ongoing yesterday with Sheriff’s new godfather, Senator Kashamu Buruji, to convince the ex-National Chairman on the sharing of posts.

But adamant Sheriff insisted that the law must take its course instead of any short cut formula.

The Board of Trustees of the PDP had taken over the affairs of the party on Wednesday, pending the time it will resolve its problems.

According to investigation by our correspondent, the latest option of splitting offices between Sheriff and Makarfi was arrived at during the week by some stakeholders of the PDP in Abuja on Wednesday.

It was gathered that the stakeholders were said to have discovered that the crisis in the PDP may linger for months, if it is left to court to decide.

There were fears that the three court cases may run through the lower court to the appellate division and the Supreme Court.

A top party source said: “All the leaders of the party are worried that the way the crisis is going, we may not get over it till the next poll in 2019 because Sheriff and some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) are not ready to withdraw all the cases in court.

“Even one of the key players in the crisis, Governor Ayodele Fayose, was sent a text message before the botched Port Harcourt convention on the emerging crisis in the party.

“The text, which was an issue at a Federal High Court in Lagos, was as follows:

‘Your Excellency: Governor Fayose sir. There is a very serious problem in the pipeline. The election should go on and we may appoint the three of them to function in acting capacity.

‘Constituting all as Caretaker Committee is very risky and dangerous. The other side will constitute a proper Executive Council and challenge and defeat your own Caretaker Committee.

‘Yours will be caretaker. They will call theirs NWC and will move round the courts to get a funny order/judgment to regularize. Alternatively, we do elections and not release results till Tuesday. Or release all, except the three and get the convention to appoint them in acting capacity. At any rate, the matter is on appeal and they will be in office while the other group will be in court for the next five years. Let’s be strategic and imaginative sir.’

“A midstream approach is a power-sharing deal between Sheriff and Makarfi factions. They have to share party offices in order to move forward.

“Concerned party leaders have begged the PDP caucus in the North-East and Governors Ibrahim Dankwambo and Darius Ishaku to prevail on Sheriff and some NWC members to withdraw all cases in court and allow the amicable resolution of the crisis.

“The most convenient option is to share NWC offices and have a harmonized executive to lead the party. We believe we have to move forward now.”

Another source said: “Some leaders of the PDP have already opened up talks with Senator Kashamu Buruji who is the main backer of Sheriff on the power-sharing deal because litigation might lead to the eventual collapse of the party.

“Kashamu’s position is that Sheriff must not be humiliated from power. He has been consistent on this. But he has not been able to come up with options.

“We are hopeful that wise counsel will prevail and we will strike a power-sharing deal in the next few weeks.”

A member of the sacked NWC said: “From our meeting, Sheriff told us that ‘the law must take its course’. He is not ready to give up his mandate which will end in 2018.”