By Teddy Nwanunobi (Sundiata Post)
Abuja – The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), on Monday afternoon, thwarted the planned use of the International Conference Centre (ICC) by the sacked National Caretaker Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmed Makarfi, and his group for their meeting.
Makarfi and governors of the party had planned to meet at the ICC to decide on their next line of action, following their defeat by Ali Modu Sheriff at the Court of Appeal last Friday.
An appeal court, sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, not only ruled in favour of Sheriff, but also declared the convention, which had earlier produced the Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee as illegal.
Makarfi and his group decided to schedule a meeting to tackle Sheriff.
The meeting was to have in attendance members of the National Executive Committee (NEC), Board of Trustees (BoT), the PDP National Assembly caucus, former governors, former ministers and former National Assembly members and party elders among others.
But the Makarfi has accused Sheriff, in collaboration with the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led Federal Government, of barricading the ICC, venue of the scheduled stakeholders meeting of the entire organs of the PDP.
“This is a very sad development in our democratic history where there is no longer free association and movement of citizens of this country.
“Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and his APC collaborators cannot stop the will of the people. Nigerians can now confirm that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is a mole in PDP to destroy the only strong opposition in the country.
“All invited members of the Party for the scheduled Stakeholders Meeting are hereby directed to proceed to the Ekiti State Government Lodge on T. Y. Danjuma Street, Asokoro, Abuja by same time, 2:00 p. m.
“PDP! Power to the people…,” it said in a statement.
Many foundation members of the PDP, apparently devastated by the Friday judgment by the Port Harcourt Appeal Court, had started canvassing for an alternative platform ahead of 2019, clearly accepting defeat from what political watchers described as ‘Sheriff’s untiring fight’.
“The Court of Appeal’s decision is absurd. It’s time for us to gut the PDP, leave its carcass for Sheriff and form a new party,” said Femi Fani-Kayode.
Others, such as Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti said they would use all their energy at the Supreme Court to chase Sheriff out of the party, with observers suggesting that today’s meeting of the aggrieved party stalwarts would be stormy as it would either mar or make PDP’s existence as a leading party.
This will come about the time that Sheriff is planning to seek for an order to resume work at the party’s national headquarters (Wadata Plaza) which had been under lock and key for several months.
In an advertorial yesterday, the national publicity secretary of the Makarfi faction of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, indicated that the meeting would hold at 2 p. m. at the ICC in Abuja.
Either way, there were clear indications that the protracted crisis in the PDP will continue to linger and in the event those advocating for a new political platform have their way, they would then have to either join any of the 40 registered but almost redundant parties or seek fresh registration from INEC for a new party.
At present, the PDP has 11 governors who worked for Sheriff’s emergence as chairman but are now all against his leadership.
Of the over 40 PDP senators at the National Assembly, some are with Sheriff and many are against him. The situation is the same at the House of Representatives and across the 36 states of the federation and Abuja.
