Leadership tussle may undermine future electoral fortunes –PDP chair, Makarfi

From Taiwo Amodu, Abuja

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has expressed concern that the leadership tussle rocking the party would affect its electoral fortunes in future elections.
The committee has been embroiled in crisis with chairman of the dissolved national working committee, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, insisting that he is the authentic chairman of the party.
Daily Sun gathered that while the committee led by the former Kaduna State Governor conducted a primary which produced Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the candidate of the party for the Edo State governorship election, Sheriff is also smarting to conduct a fresh primary this week.
Addressing a delegation of state chairmen from 24 states, who paid him a solidarity visit, Makarfi declared that it was paramount that chieftains of  the party close ranks and  relate as one family in order not to endanger its electoral fortunes”
“It is unfortunate what is happening, but equally, it is good in the sense that PDP is alive, PDP is potentially a party people love and it is a party like a government in waiting.”
He also restated  the resolve of his Committee to deliver on its mandate to organise a transparent national convention, while dismissing insinuation that his team was working to advance the presidential ambition of a certain prominent politician.
Chairman of the FCT chapter and  leader of the delegation, Yunus Suleiman, said by the proclamation of the national convention held last month in Port Harcourt, Sheriff ceased to be the national chairman. He advised the former Borno State Governor to stop parading himself as the party chairman.
“The tenure of our national officers terminated on May 21, 2016. Just like nature abhors vacuum, the party invoked  the power invested in it under section 33 sub section 5 of the constitution and dissolved  the then exco-led by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and set up a national caretaker committee headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi to drive the  affairs of the party forward.
“They are also to organise a national convention of the party to elect fresh national officers for the party.
“While we appreciate the enormous services and contributions of Senator Sheriff during his tenure in office, we wish to appeal to him to accept the decisions of the Port Harcourt convention of May 21, 2016 which was convened by NEC under his leadership, believing that other opportunities may arrive in the future for him to serve the party in greater capacity,” he said.