Alleged 2019 Deal With Atiku: Sheriff’s Rantings Baseless, Says PDP

Caretaker committee plans stakeholders meeting Dismiss suspension of Edo Exco

in Abuja As the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) continues to battle with internal rebellion, the National Caretaker Committee has dismissed the alleged fraternisation with a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar as baseless and unfounded.

The committee led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi said yesterday that as part of efforts to bring to an end the internal disputes in the party, it will convene a stakeholders’ meeting any time from next week.

The ousted national Chairman of the PDP who is still resisting his sack from office, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff had accused the Chairman National Caretaker Committee of the party, Senator Makarfi and Secretary, Senator Ben Obi of working for a chieftain of the APC with the intention of securing for him the 2019 presidential ticket.

Although, Sheriff fell short of mentioning Atiku’s name when he spoke during a solidarity visit by some members of the PDP from Plateau state last Friday in Abuja, he made clear allusions to the effect that the former Vice President may have been the one that Makarfi and his committee met.

“It is on record that since they came back from the Port Harcourt Convention, they have visited the chieftain of the APC twice and this chieftain is still in APC. Nigerians Know the truth, let them not deceive the people,” he said.

However, Secretary of the PDP Caretaker Committee, Senator Ben Obi has said Sheriff’s allegation is nothing but a cry of drowning man seeking for something to clutch his hands onto.

“If all the organs of the party have entrusted us with the leadership of the party and Sheriff is standing as an island, what do you expect from a drowning man? He would always come up with all sorts of permutations that are unfounded and baseless to continue to satisfy the orgy of his paymasters.

“The fellow has a track record that is known to all. We are both together at the APP which later became the ANPP and everybody who were in the party at that time know what role he played. My appeal to PDP members is to remain calm and not allow Sheriff to distract them from the goals of the party,” he said.

Speaking on the peace efforts and apparent stalemate in discussions with the Sheriff’s group, Obi accused the former national chairman of not being honest and of being economical with the truth.

He explained that Makarfi had set up four-member peace and reconciliation team immediately after the meeting held by both parties had with the former Inspector-General of Police to hold talks with Sheriff, but that rather than meet with the committee, Sheriff chose to “run from one court to the other seeking favourable judgment.”

Obi said based on the fruitless efforts to bring Sheriff and his loyalists to negotiating table, the National Caretaker Committee will be meeting on Monday to consider summoning a stakeholders meeting to deliberate on the way forward.

On the suspension order issued by Sheriff on the Edo state party executive, Obi asked party members to ignore such statement.

“Let Sheriff go on and constitute his executives in Edo state and let’s see how that pans out. I think the man is only testing the waters and I believe that this adventure in Edo state should his first litmus test. The good thing is that the Edo state PDP is not factionalised. The party is together under the leadership Chief Dan Orbih from its national leaders like Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Tom Ikimi to other notable leaders in the state,” he said.