Jonathan not asking Sheriff, Makarfi to resign — Prof Adeniran

Aformer Minister of Education and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT), Professor Tunde Adeniran, has said that ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has no interest in presiding over the party’s national convention but aims at ensuring that the leadership crisis within the party is resolved amicably.

This followed speculation that the former president may prevail on the two factional chairmen, senators Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi to step aside for him to preside over a national convention of the party for new leaders to emerge.

Speaking with Daily Trust in a telephone interview yesterday, Adeniran, a one-time Nigerian ambassador to Germany, said the party’s stakeholders were still putting heads together in order to arrive at a political solution being brokered by the former president.

He explained that ideas were still trickling in from different quarters for final resolution of the crisis.

The former minister said there was no need relying on the Supreme Court, stressing that all key players must make sacrifices and shelve their personal interests for the overall interest of the party.

“The PDP is a political party that is strong and loved by Nigerians. So, everything must be done to protect the party and democracy in Nigeria.

“Those saying that the former president has asked them (Sheriff and Makarfi) to step down, this is mere speculation. I also read and heard about the APDP. This is another speculation meant to heighten curiosity.

“The political solution will come from the various stakeholders putting their heads together. But there are no hard and fast rules. We don’t need magic from the Supreme Court,” he said.