From Taiwo Amodu, Abuja
Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Buruji Kashamu has declared that political solution, rather than ceaseless litigations, would resolve the leadership tussle rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Kashamu, who, until recently, was one of the strongest backers of chairman of the dissolved national working committee, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, asked stakeholders of the party to call the duo of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and current chairman of the party’s caretaker committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, to a dialogue on the way forward.
Daily Sun gathered that there has been intense pressure on the former Borno state governor to withdraw pending cases he instituted against the Ahmed Makarfi committee to enable the party conduct its national convention fixed for August 17 in Port Harcourt.
Arrow heads of the trouble shooting initiative, according to party sources, are Ondo state governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Dr Olusegun Mimmiko and his Bayelsa state counterpart, Seriake Dickson.
Senator Kashamu, in a position paper sent to governors and stakeholders of the main opposition party, declared that the only solution to the impasse was the dissolution of the Ahmed Makarfi committee, as he further claimed that Sheriff had confessed that he was no longer interested in holding the position of national chairman.
Kashamu further demanded for an arrangement that would ensure that loyalists of the two contenders to the office of national chairman organise the convention scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt.
He said:”An air of palpable confusion pervades our party and the land, with one division of the court saying Senator Makarfi’s appointment is right while another division of the same court says Senator Sheriff is the authentic National Chairman of our party.
“We cannot continue like this. Already, the nomination processes in Edo and Ondo states are being endangered by the current crisis. It is incumbent on all well-meaning leaders and elders of the party to call Senators Sheriff and Makarfi and look for a political solution to this crisis once and for all. Nothing is too much to give, if we truly love the party.
“Even though the court did not make any order, with respect to the proposed August 17th National Convention, the reality is that it is endangered because the Abuja court held that the caretaker committee cannot lawfully act on behalf of the PDP.
“Apart from the resources that might be wasted by individuals and stakeholders, going ahead with the national convention will be contemptuous of valid court orders and rulings, and all those found to have involved themselves in such an action could be cited for contempt. Besides, it should be noted that there are people who exploit crisis situation such as this.
“We need to guard against such characters. Let us put an end to the culture of impunity and put these shady characters out of job. Thus, it is crucial for us to find a political solution to leadership crisis, unite our people and resolve the issues so that the various court cases can be withdrawn. An assortment of court orders, rulings and judgments will only deepen the crisis and make it intractable.