By Olusola Fabiyi and Leke Baiyewu.

The National Chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party , Senator Ali Modu Sheriff,
met with former President Goodluck Jonathan
at the ex - President ’ s residence in Abuja on
Monday.
The meeting , which held behind closed doors ,
was also attended by Sheriff’ s Deputy National
Chairman , Dr . Cairo Ojougboh ; Acting National
Publicity Secretary , Mr . Bernard Mikko ; and the
National Youth Leader , Mr. Demis Alonge - Niyi .
Also at the meeting were the party ’ s National
Secretary , Prof . Wale Oladipo, and the Financial
Secretary , Mr . Adewole Adeyanju.
As the meeting was ongoing, the sacked
National Caretaker Committee of the party said
it had appealed the Court of Appeal judgment
which removed it from office .
The committee , which was headed by a former
Governor of Kaduna State , Senator Ahmed
Makarfi , stated this after the faction ’ s
stakeholders ’ meeting .
The meeting was held at the private residence
of the Governor of Ekiti State , Mr . Ayodele
Fayose , who is the Chairman of the PDP
Governors ’ Forum.
Jonathan , who met Sheriff and his entourage ,
referred to the former governor of Borno State
as his chairman.
As soon as Jonathan was ushered into the
sitting room , where his guests were seated, and
sighted Sheriff , he stretched his hands to him
and said , “ My chair . ”
Even after their closed- door meeting , which
was held with a few members of Sheriff’ s
entourage , the former President still referred to
Sheriff as “ my chairman. ”
Speaking with journalists after the meeting ,
Jonathan said the troubled party remained one ,
adding that there was no faction in it .
Acknowledging that there were problems in the
party , the ex- President , however , stated that
efforts were being made to resolve them.
Jonathan added , “ We are solving our problems.
There are bound to be differences in politics . It
is the way we resolve these differences that
makes us human beings and that is what makes
us leaders .
“ We are not factionalised; we are one . I have
met with Sheriff and I have met with others . I
will meet with others (again ) so that we will be
able to do what is expected of us as a political
party . ”
In his remarks , Sheriff said he would not
respond to the unprintable names he was being
called by his traducers , stating that there would
be no difference between him and those
against him if he decided to respond to them.
“ I will not respond to the name - calling because
if I do, there would be no difference between
them and me . Very soon, you will hear from me
when I finish my consultation as I will roll out
my programmes that will lead to the holding of
a national convention , ” he added .
At the PDP Stakeholders ’ meeting , however, the
Makarfi group passed a vote of confidence in
the caretaker committee , insisting that the
committee would remain in place until the
determination of its appeal at the Supreme
Court .
A former Minister of Information , Prof . Jerry
Gana , read the communique of the meeting ,
which was attended by the governors of Akwa
Ibom State (Udom Emmanuel ); Delta State
( Ifeanyi Okowa ); Rivers State (Nyesom Wike);
and the Deputy Senate President , Senator Ike
Ekweremadu .
Members of the National Assembly , former
ministers, former governors and members of
the Board of Trustees of the party were also in
attendance.
Reading the communique , Gana said , “ That we
fully endorse the prompt and proactive decision
of the National Caretaker Committee to lodge
an appeal at the Supreme Court of Nigeria
against the decision of the Court of Appeal as
well as filing an application for injunction
pending an appeal, all of which were done in
the morning of Monday, February 20 , 2017 .
“ Having duly filed both an appeal at the
Supreme Court and an application for
injunction pending appeal in the morning of
Monday, February 20 , 2017 , we pass a
resounding and unqualified vote of confidence
in the leadership of the Senator Makarfi - led
National Caretaker Committee of the PDP and
pledge our unalloyed support to it as it pilots
the affairs of the party in this critical
transitional period of the party ’ s life .
“ To this end, we are not at all deceived by the
supposed olive branch being offered by Senator
Ali Modu Sherrif , knowing that the only thing
that can come from traitors of his ilk is nothing
but a poisoned chalice and a Greek gift. ”
Earlier in the day , the Nigeria Police Force had
barricaded the International Conference Centre,
Abuja , venue of the scheduled stakeholders ’
meeting .
The action , it was gathered, was sequel to the
judgment of the Court of Appeal in Port
Harcourt , which , on Friday, recognised Sheriff
as the national chairman of the party .
A ’ court judgment, solution to crisis , says Uzodinma
Meanwhile , a member of the Sheriff- led faction
of the PDP , Senator Hope Uzodinma , on
Monday, described the judgment of the Court of
Appeal , nullifying the National Caretaker
Committee of the party , as a political solution .
“ The last judgment by the Appeal Court has
created a window for a political solution, ” he
said .
Uzodinma , in an interview with journalists in
Abuja , faulted the embattled Makarfi for calling
a party stakeholders ’ meeting on Monday after
he had been sacked by the appellate court .
He said , “ We are not talking about factions
anymore . I am a lawmaker and not a law -
breaker. If the Appeal Court has said Sheriff is
the chairman, it goes without saying that
people , who understand the doctrine of the rule
of law , should obey the pronouncement of the
court of competent jurisdiction , unless,
otherwise , any court of superior record, in this
instance, the Supreme Court , says tomorrow
that Sheriff is no longer the chairman .
“ For Makarfi to now want to summon a meeting on
behalf of the PDP , we want to ask why ? Committed
members of the party like us will not even look up to any
court for solution to this impasse .”

http://punchng.com/pdp-crisis-sheriff-meets-jonathan-makarfi-appeals-judgment/

fayose is stronger than u in terms of politics #Sheriff

Una weldone