SAN FRANCISCO, March 13, (THEWILL) – Former President Goodluck Jonathan has asked the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi and the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff to both resign for peace in the party.
This was revealed by the Spokesman of the Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, who said Makarfi and Sheriff’s resignation would create a level playing field for the party to build trust and confidence in the members.
He added that Makarfi has offered to resign his position, in line with the directive by Jonathan, and called on Sheriff to step aside to allow the ongoing reconciliation efforts achieve results.
“We accepted President Goodluck Jonathan and the Governors’ comprehensive political solution. It called for the resignation of Senator Sheriff and the so called NWC and the National Caretaker Committee to create a level playing field for all, and to build trust among all members.
“We in the caretaker committee have agreed to resign as directed by former President Jonathan and the governors, but Sheriff has refused.
“The agreement is then to be submitted to the Supreme Court as the judgment of the Court. This would have provided both political and legal solution to the logjam.
“But Senator Sheriff rejected it and has continued to insist that he would conduct a national convention even when he does not enjoy the trust and confidence of the vast majority of party members.
“It is therefore very clear who has a personal or hidden agenda. And I dare say, it is Senator Sheriff and not the National Caretaker Committee.
“The Caretaker Committee has stated severally that it will go anytime that it is asked to do so by the organs of the party. We have no personal agenda or interest and we will not stay a day longer than permitted by the critical organs of the party.”
But Sheriff has declined, insisting that he would go ahead to conduct the party’s planned national convention, tentatively fixed for June 30by a reconciliation committee headed by the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson.
Rebuffing the call for resignation, Sheriff, who spoke through his deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, accused Makarfi of scheming to get the party’s presidential ticket for the 2019 election and was stalling reconciliation efforts in the party, adding that it’s for the same reason the former Kaduna State Governor has opposed the planned convention under Sheriff.
“Makarfi wants a situation where he will tailor-make the convention to suit his interest because he has come out to say that he will be contesting for the presidency of the country,” he said.
“We are very mindful that we are not going to tie our party around any individual. That is why Sheriff said he would throw everything open. That is why we are studying the position of the reconciliation committee and that is good enough to advance our party.
“The reason why the caretaker committee is protesting is that they have seen that the table is now crumbling fast under their feet. All the organs of the party are cueing into the reconciliation plan and when the reconciliation pulls through, they are out.
“After that, Senator Makarfi can only come as a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT)”.
