The warring factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday, May 26, resolved after a meeting, to support the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee of the party.
At the end of a meeting brokered by the Board of Trustees of the party at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, the factions in the party urged all entities of the party in court to allow for a peaceful resolution of whatever grievances they might have, Vanguard reports.
It was gathered that those in attendance at the meeting include; representatives of the PDP Governors Forum, the National Assembly Caucus, Concerned PDP stakeholders Forum, the Former PDP Ministers Forum and representatives of eight former members of the National Working Committee of the party.
Reading the resolution at the end of the meeting, Ojo Maduekwe, secretary of the BoT of the PDP said the two factions have agreed to work together and support the decisions reached at the Port Harcourt convention, which didn’t only inaugurate the caretaker committee to be led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, but also dissolved the national executive committee led by Sheriff, and the national working committee.
The statement from Maduekwe read: “We agreed that the national caretaker committee led by Markafi should involve members of the Concern PDP Stakeholders group for effective integration of all points of views and indices.
“The BOT at the expanded meeting decided to immediately engage all groups, party leaders and members involved in whatever disputes towards a just, lasting and amicable resolutions.
“The BOT will therefore preside over the processes of major reconciliations in our party as part of its leadership responsibility.
“A committee has also been set up to meet with Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff in the spirit of working together and resolving outstanding issues.
The meeting equally resolved that all matters that were in courts be withdrawn for the party to apply internal mechanisms towards resolving them.”
He said that the advice was based on the party’s extant regulations that no matter should go to court without exhausting internal mechanisms.
Also speaking after the meeting, Jubrin Walid, chairman of BOT, said decisions were reached by all organs of the party represented at the gathering.
Earlier as the BoT meeting got underway, Sheriff had fallen out with the leadership of the party in Port Harcourt on Saturday, May 21, after realizing that his bid to stay in office till 2018 was heading for the rocks.
He had announced the suspension of the PDP convention, asking delegates to leave for their various states, but Uche Secondus, deputy national chairman of the party, stepped in and the exercise went on as scheduled.
The convention not only inaugurated the caretaker committee, but also dissolved the national executive committee led by Sheriff, and the national working committee.
The caretaker committee was given three months to steer the affairs of the party, and conduct election before leaving.This had annoyed Sheriff, who sought legal redress. Although, Senator Makarfi affirmed that there was no injunction against his caretaker committee.
However, confusion erupted in the party following different court rulings after the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos and Port Harcourt, gave conflicting rulings on the status of the party’s leadership.
In Port Harcourt, Justice A.M. Liman stopped Sheriff from parading himself as the chairman and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Makarfi-led caretaker committee.
While in Lagos, Justice Buba held that the Sherrif-led executive should remain in office until the suit is determined. He ordered the police to ensure that the order is enforced. Justice Buba declared the Makarfi-led caretaker panel a nullity
The headquarters of the party has been taken over by the police as a result of the crisis rocking the party.
