Don’t zone chairmanship position – PDP Chieftain

Ahead of Southern Ni­geria PDP meeting scheduled for Port Harcourt, River State today, a founding chieftain of the nation’s main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Chidi Okolo, has warned against zoning the chairmanship position to any particular zone in the South.
He held that while the po­sition of national chairman­ship is zoned to the South, it should be open to any quali­fied candidate from the three southern geo-political zones to contest for.

“Since the party is being rebranded along line of re­turning power to the people, delegates to the forth coming National Convention should be allowed to vote for a candi­date of their choice.”

According to Chief Okolo, the party will be heading for a more severe crisis if the na­tional chairmanship is zoned to a chosen zone in the south.

Reacting to the current leadership crisis troubling the party Chief Okolo called for truce and peaceful resolution in leadership crisis troubling the party.

He appealed for immedi­ate reconciliation of the party leadership, stating there is no faction in the party and de­scribed the current crisis as a family affair blown out of proportion.

Chief Okolo who is also a member of the party’s Board of Trustees called for an ur­gent peace meeting between Senator Modu Sheriff and the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee to put their differences aside and make peace in a bid to move the party forward.

Speaking with reporters in Enugu yesterday, Chief Okolo said PDP as a formidable par­ty should be able to resolve its crisis amicably.
Contrary to the groundless insinuation of detractors, the party laid the foundation of stability and continuity that have sustained Nigeria as one entity.

He said that internal crisis in the party should not have been made a court matter, hinting that current peace talks afoot will be fruitful.
He assured members of the party all over the world that the National Convention of the party will hold this month as planned.

He also commended the governors of Bayelsa and Ondo states for their untiring efforts aimed at resolving the crisis. He hinted that there are many short comings that can be used to foment more crisis in the party if left unchecked.
It could be recalled that the protracted leadership cri­sis rocking PDP deepened last week as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja again affirmed Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the authentic Na­tional chairman party.

Justice Okon Abang nul­lified the appointment of Ahmed Makarfi as caretaker committee chairman.
Despite the pronounce­ment the caretaker commit­tee under the leadership of Senator Ahmed Makarfi has said it would go ahead to con­duct the national convention fixed for this month.
Reacting to the judgment in a statement, spokesperson of the Makarfi committee, Dayo Adeyeye described as objectionable, questionable and very strange the inter­locutory order granted the dissolved national working committee, led by Sheriff.

“We have just received in­formation that Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted an order of interlocutory In­junction stopping our sched­uled National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, but we want to state that the judgment of the 4th of July, 2016 supersedes any Ex-Parte Order or interlocutory in­junctions. So, our National Convention will hold as scheduled in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

“Let Nigerians recall the two former Judgments before the Port Harcourt Judgment, declared that Senator Sheriff is not qualified to be a Na­tional Chairman given that the PDP Constitution 2014 which he claimed brought him to power is not in exis­tence and therefore, null and void.

“The PDP wants Nigerians to know that Justice Okon Abang is deliberately engag­ing in acts of derailing the country’s democracy given the fact that his court is not an Appeal Court that can set aside any judgment.

Adeyeye said the Makarfi faction would apply for stay of execution and appeal the ruling.

“Finally, the Party calls on all its members and teaming supporters nationwide to re­main calm and law abiding and be rest assured that the PDP National Convention will hold as scheduled and all preparation towards the Au­gust 17, 2016 National Con­vention remains the same.”

In the case filled by Sheriff, Justice Abang held that the purported convention of the party held in port-Harcourt on May 20, 2016, was con­ducted in violation of the two court orders of the Lagos Division of the Federal High court which barred the PDP, INEC from holding the said convention.
It could be recalled that the protracted leadership cri­sis rocking PDP deepened last week as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja again affirmed Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the authentic Na­tional chairman party.

Justice Okon Abang nul­lified the appointment of Ahmed Makarfi as caretaker committee chairman.
Despite the pronounce­ment the caretaker commit­tee under the leadership of Senator Ahmed Makarfi has said it would go ahead to conduct the national conven­tion fixed for this month.
Reacting to the judgment in a statement, spokesperson of the Makarfi committee, Dayo Adeyeye described as objectionable, questionable and very strange the inter­locutory order granted the dissolved national working committee, led by Sheriff.