Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, yesterday, justified last Saturday’s removal of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at the Port Harcourt convention, saying the party under the erstwhile leadership was headed towards the precipice. Wike’s justification of Sheriff’s sack was welcomed by Prof.
Jerry Gana, leader of the PDP Concerned Stakeholders, who convened a parallel convention in Abuja to press for the removal of the Sheriff-led executive of the party. CORDONED OFF: National Headquarters of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, cordoned off by the Police, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.
Meanwhile, heavily armed policemen, yesterday, took over the national secretariat of the party, denying entry and exit to and from the building. The development, which came ahead of today’s expected takeover of the national secretariat by the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee, was also shadowed by continuing intrigues as the ousted Senator Sheriff executive was last night also said to be preparing to fight back.
Sheriff and his aides, who could not be reached for most of yesterday, were said to be engaged in a meeting with his dissolved National Working Committee, NWC.
Speaking after the 2016 national convention, Wike said: “All along, the crisis has been about the former acting chairman whose emergence was strongly opposed. This is destabilising the party and so we had to let him go. What is important is the party and not the individual. No sacrifice is too much for anyone to make as far as PDP is concerned.”
He noted that he had no personal interest in supporting Senator Modu Sheriff as he was the best option at the time he emerged. He said PDP will continue to grow from strength to strength as it remained the only hope for the country.
Governor Wike said: “We will not allow the PDP to die or suffer divisions under our watch. History will never forgive us if we watch the party die.”
The governor said the party leaders would work towards maintaining unity among all members of the party. He said despite the challenges, the 2016 national convention was successful as the party had been repositioned in the interest of the nation.
(Vanguard)
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