SAN FRANCISCO, July 13, (THEWILL) – Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmed Makarfi, has announced what he described as “general amnesty” for the sacked National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff and his loyalists under the new leadership of the party.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, spokesman of the Makarfi-led PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said the erstwhile chairman put the party in extremely difficult situation throughout the 14 months the leadership crisis lasted warning however that further infractions after the amnesty window would attract the appropriate sanctions.
He blamed Sheriff for the party’s defeats in the Edo and Ondo States governorship elections where Sheriff fielded parallel candidates against the party’s choices and described his actions as a distraction that threatened the very existence of the party.
The party spokesman said doing justice to the numerous distortions created by the former chairman would certainly hurt some groups and individuals who benefited from the illegal parallel structures erected by Sheriff in some states.
“The distraction caused by Sheriff and his loyalists put us under intense pressure to a point that we could not pay salaries of secretariat staff while the crisis lasted,” Adeyeye said.
“The task of uniting factions created by Sheriff in the various state chapters has become a difficult one that would require a great deal of wisdom for the party leadership to accomplish.
“On the way forward, we are going to do justice that some people may certainly not be happy with because doing justice might hurt some people, particularly those occupying certain positions illegally. These people will surely lose their positions.
“Now we are in the position to offer viable opposition. The APC should be prepared for a virile and credible opposition; the type they gave us before the 2015 general elections.
“With the Supreme Court judgment, Nigerians now look up to the PDP as an alternative platform to actualise their hopes and aspirations. We are going to roll out our programmes in the days ahead, after due consultations with all stakeholders.”
