PDP Groups Meet Over Impasse, Today

The two rival factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have agreed to meet today for reconciliation and harmonisation.
The Tide learnt that the Interim Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi and the former acting National Chairman, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, have allegedly agreed to a truce.
The duo, whose fierce claims to the leadership of the party have sharply divided members down the line, and forced the police to shut down the party’s secretariat for one week in the first instance, are scheduled to meet today, barring last minutes changes, for talks on resolving the crisis.
The Tide recalls that Police Inspector General, Solomon Arase, met with them in Abuja on Friday and told them to end their differences within one week, and subsequently deployed his men to seal off the party’s secretariat for the period.
But after a meeting with the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Security Service, Mallam Lawal Daura, The Tide gathered that the two factions have opened up preliminary talks and have agreed to meet today.
“Neither Sheriff’s camp nor Makarfi’s group has named those who will represent the warring factions on Monday,” a source close to the police IGP said.
Sources close to the two groups hinted that they will send their list of representatives to the negotiation on or before today.
It was gathered that both groups are still consulting on who should be part of their teams.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has distanced itself from the two factions in the PDP to avoid being accused of bias.
A top official of INEC said the commission has been relating with the most senior director at the PDP National Secretariat on correspondence and party matters.
He said the neutrality of the commission will remain until there is a definite decision by the court on the crisis in PDP.
“We took a decision not to deal with either Sheriff or Makarfi. We do not want to be dragged into PDP politics.
“But on correspondence and any issue on political parties, we relate with the most senior director in PDP, who will communicate all the groups.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, has explained that he ordered the shutdown of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat to maintain peace, law and order.
A statement issued by the Force Spokesperson, Olabisi Kolawole, said the IGP took the decision at a meeting with stakeholders of the party in Abuja.