SAN FRANCISCO, March 26, (THEWILL) – The Ali Modu Sheriff faction and the Ahmed Makarfi faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are locked in a fresh hostilities over the planned recruitment of staff for the party by the Sheriff faction.
The Sheriff faction had recently invited applications from interested Nigerians to come and fill vacant administrative positions at the party’s national secretariat because majority of the workers at the PDP national secretariat are refusing to work with Sheriff having rebuffed all overtures from the faction to return to work, preferring to work for Makarfi.
Thus, the Makari camp is resisting the planned recruitment insisting that the move negates the agreement brokered between the two camps on Thursday by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state.
According to Sheriff’s deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, the said recruitment exercise has nothing to do with the peace deal insisting that the people employed at the secretariat staff have since left the party when they went on AWOL (Absence Without Official Leave).
“They have become a clog in the wheel of progress of the party,” he said.
“We are going ahead to replace them. Makarfi should respect himself and stay out of this because it has nothing to do with him.
“We are the ones running the party and they are supposed to be there as employees of the party. The recruitment exercise does not in any way affect the peace deal brokered by Governor Dickson.”
However, the spokesman for the Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, declared that said the move constituted a breach of the peace agreement insisting that the workers have been working with the Caretaker Committee and will continue to do so until the Supreme Court makes a final pronouncement on the leadership of the party.
“The staff are working with us in line with the deal brokered by Governor Dickson and nobody can replace them,” he said.
“Why should they go and work with Sheriff while the case is still pending before the Supreme Court? If you are looking for political solution, then you should not heighten tension.
“The right thing to do while looking for political solution is to maintain the status quo. You don’t go out heightening tension when you are seeking political solution.
“Sheriff and his group must keep to the terms of the agreement for peace to reign because we are going to resist any attempt to victimise the workers.”
