By Yemi Adeleye
Lagos – A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr Victor Akande on Sunday lauded former President Goodluck Jonathan over his reconciliatory steps to resolve leadership crisis rocking PDP.
Akande, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Ojo Constituency, I told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that such step had been long expected.
The lawmaker had on Dec. 11, 2016 called on the former President to take leadership position in the party to stem crisis rocking the party.
Jonathan had on Tuesday met PDP governors in continuation of the mediation efforts and peace talk and had also met with key leaders of the party.
The ex-President has also met with the Chairman, Board Of Trustees (BOT) of PDP, Sen. Walid Jibrin,
the Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu.
He also met with Sen. Ali Modu-Sheriff and Sen. Ahmed Makarfi in the effort to carry all the organs of the party along.
Akande described the on-going consultations toward resolving the issues in the PDP as “best solution” not only for the party but also for the good of the masses.
He said the masses expected vibrant opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“One would have thought that after the Appeal Court verdict, the crisis would have ended.
‘’This is going by the statements made by both warring factions to abide by whatever verdict that would emanate from the appellate court.
“But, I can’t imagine that our leaders would continue after the judgement, I think Jonathan’s intervention is apt and timely to save the party from another defeat in 2019.
“We want warring leaders to consider the followers at the grassroots who still have the love of the party at heart.
“They should stop being selfish, after appeal verdict they should have gone on dialogue. There is no way the matter will be settled in court.
“If we wait for Supreme Court verdict, it will be very late to save PDP.
‘’We thank President Jonathan for this political solution. I am happy he heeded our call,” Akande said.
Akande, also a legal practitioner, said the warring national leaders did not consider the followers by allowing the crisis to linger this far.
“Any PDP leader that claims to love the party will toe the line of peace. We should go for truce and no longer court.
“If our leaders have the interest of the party at heart, they should look forward to resolving crisis. Everyone should sit down and discuss.
“People love this party and many want to come, let internal wrangling end.
“Jonathan should ensure that not in his own time after he left office, PDP goes into extinction, he should find the lasting solution to the party’s problems, he can do it.”
The lawmaker, who noted that the crisis had been affecting him, said he was still studying happenings in the party before he would decide what to do.
Akande, who called on Sheriff and Makarfi to douse tension, also urged Jonathan to continue on this path of inclusive dialogue until the internal dispute was finally resolved.
He also called on all the well-meaning PDP members and stakeholders to sheathe their sword and allow the current reconciliation efforts yield positive results.
NAN reports that PDP is torn between Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff and Sen. Ahmed Makarfi- led fashions laying claim to the leadership of the party.
However, the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt on Feb.17 affirmed Ali Modu Sheriff as the authentic National Chairman of PDP.
