There were indications in Abuja yesterday that the protracted crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party may soon come to an end following the resolve of the two combatants to sheath their swords and work for the progress of the party.
National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sherif and the Chairman of the sacked National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi agreed that there would be end to exchange of words between them over the crisis in the party.
This was the outcome of the meeting between the two groups which was brokered by the party’s Reconciliation Committee headed by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson.
Though both Sheriff and Makarfi were not physically present at the meeting, their representatives signed the agreement, which was read by a former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ibrahim Mantu.
The communiqué said, “All actors of the party should desist from making derogatory, inflammatory and divisive statements against party officials, stakeholders and members.
“That the party should not dissipate her energy amongst itself but to focus on how to unite and be a formidable opposition capable of taking over power from the failed All Progressives Congress-led government.
“That all key actors in the on-going peace process should henceforth desist from making public press statements attacking each other and statements insinuating negative acts capable of dragging the party to the mud.
“In conclusion all Key actors in the PDP have agreed to work together with National Reconciliation Committee led by Governor Seriake Dickson to engender peace and genuine reconciliation.”
A former Presidential aide, Mr Ahmed Gulak and the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Bernard Mikko, signed the communique on behalf of Sheriff.
A former Minister of State for works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye and Dave Iorhemba, signed for Makarfi.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has fixed May 4 for the continuation of hearing in appeals concerning the ongoing leadership crisis of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The apex court gave the date yesterday, after listening to counsel’s arguments in the appeals challenging the February 17judgement of the Appeal Court which confirmed former Borno State governor, Ali Sheriff, as leader of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
Mr. Sheriff’s challenger for leadership of the party, Ahmed Makarfi, had approached the Supreme Court after the ruling by the Port Harcourt Division of appellate court, starting the final phase of the judicial battle for the PDP leadership that has lasted almost a year.
The judicial struggle began on May, 17 2016 when a Lagos Division of the Federal High Court ordered the party to suspend its national convention earlier scheduled to hold on May 21 that year.
Contrary to that order, however, the PDP held its convention, amidst conflicting information from the Makarfi and Sheriff led factions of the party, respectively, regarding the said convention.
During the convention on May 21, Mr. Makarfi was elected leader of the caretaker committee of the party.
Shortly after that convention, however, loyalist of the Sheriff faction filed a motion before the Federal High Court, FHC, in Lagos, challenging the emergence of Mr. Makarfi as leader of the party.
Consequently on May 24, the court presided by Justice Ibrahim Buba nullified the emergence of the Makarfi-led leadership of the party, and reinstated Mr. Sheriff as leader of the party
After that judgement, other judgements emanating from separate divisions of the FHC, gave controversial rulings on the convention.
In February, however, the Appeal Court in Port Harcourt announced Mr. Sheriff leader of the party, paving the way for the suit at the Supreme Court.
Yesterday, at the commencement of hearing in Mr. Makarfi’s application, the counsel representing the Sheriff faction, Akin Olujimi, said his client (PDP) was not aware of any application, challenging the emergence of the current leadership of the party.
He, however, prayed the court to set aside the application, stressing that ‘the appropriate authorities to have made the said application have not decided to appeal.”
The counsel representing the second defendant in Mr. Sheriff’s appeal aligned with Mr. Olijimi’s submission.
The counsel, Lateef Fagbemi, said his client, the National Secretary of the party from Mr. Sheriff’s faction, Wale Oladipo, would want the court to set aside the application made by Mr. Makarfi’s counsel, Kanu Agabi, stressing that the appellant had no authorisation to have made the said application.
He also prayed the court to determine the application by the Sheriff faction, before hearing the main appeal by the faction led by Mr. Makarfi.
In his response, Mr. Agabi, a former attorney general of Nigeria, said the respondents should make the submissions written.
Mr. Olujimi had prayed the court to allow them make their submissions within a period of 21 days. So, after hearing the arguments of counsel, the panel of five justices, led by Mohammed Tanko, adjourned to May 4 for hearing of the appeals by the Sheriff-led faction.
In the interim, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State yesterday met with the representatives of the two warring factions of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Abuja.
The meeting was part of efforts to resolve the party’s prolonged leadership crisis.
Mr. Dickson heads the party’s reconciliation committee, which seeks to resolve the feud between the factions led by Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi, former governors of Borno and Kaduna States.
The Court of Appeal recently affirmed Mr. Sheriff as the national chairman of the party.
Part of outcome of Thursday’s meeting was the agreement by both factions to “cease fire” and stop making public statements on the crisis.
While the Sheriff faction was represented at the meeting by a former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak, Bernard Mikko and Cairo Ojougboh, the Makarfi group was represented by Dayo Adeyeye and Dave Iorhemba.
According to the communique of the meeting signed by the representatives, the warring factions agreed that “all actors of the party should desist from making derogatory, inflammatory and divisive statements against party officials, stakeholders and members.
“That the party should not dissipate her energy amongst itself but to focus on how to unite and be a formidable opposition capable of taking over power from the failed APC led government.
“That all key actors in the on-going peace process should henceforth desist from making public press statements attacking each other and statements insinuating negative acts capable of dragging the party to the mud.”
The communique also said both factions have resolved to work with Mr. Dickson’s committee to “engender genuine reconciliation”.
Meanwhile, Mr. Dickson has also submitted copies of his committee’s report to the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustee, BoT, Walid Jibrin, at his Abuja residence.
Mr. Dickson had earlier submitted copies of the report to both Messrs. Sheriff and Makarfi.
Mr. Dickson says the report he is the best way out of the prolonged crisis.
He said it is amenable to amendments as the leadership and relevant bodies deem fit.
The Bayelsa governor said the governing All Progressive Congress, APC, has failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians.
He said the PDP has a chance to wrestle power from the APC if it puts its House in order.
He also said Mr. Sheriff had already signed an undertaking not to contest for any position at the proposed national convention and also to give party members free hand to operate.
He appealed to all members of the party to unite.
Responding, Mr. Jubril thanked the reconciliation committee in its effort to bring peace to the party.
“There is no need for us to engage in unnecessarily issue, those with selfish interest should not destroy our party.”
“We are ready to do the proper thing. In a bid to repair this party, I urge all leaders to desist from using language that will further divide us. This report comes at the right time,” he said.