Reconciliation moves initiated by former President Goodluck Jonathan to resolve the leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party could collapse as the chairman of the party, Ali Modu Sheriff said he is pulling out.
Cairo Ojougboh, deputy national chairman of PDP announced the pull-out in a statement on Thursday. Jonathan, he said, lost control of the meeting by allowing the “dissident Makarfi led group to continue with their anti-party activities”.
Sheriff had stormed out of the peace meeting convened by the former President in Abuja to resolve the lingering leadership crisis rocking the party, citing breach of protocol.
“We are opting out and focusing our efforts at making the party the darling of Nigerians again. We had made tremendous progress before former president Goodluck Jonathan was asked by party leaders to convene a meeting where stakeholders will adopt the governor Dickson Committee report on reconciliation. Unfortunately, president Jonathan lost control of the meeting he convened and allowed Makarfi group to continue with their anti party posture.
“All the organs of the party were already queuing up behind us and Jonathan came to break the progress we made by his inability to control the meeting. We will not continue again but rather concentrate on rebuilding our party. We have also postponed the National Executive committee earlier fixed for 4th of May. A new date will be announced later,” Ojougboh said.
He stated that Makarfi and his group were busy forming new parties which clearly undermines the peace initiatives.
“High ranking members of the Makarfi Group like the former deputy Speaker of the house of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, has openly admitted that if they lose at the supreme court, they will move to another party. With such statements, it would be foolhardy for us to pretend that a genuine reconciliation is being pursued by these renegade members,” He said.
