My contesting for president in 2019 depends on God’s approval, says Sheriff

Patani PDP endorses Markafi, Okowa, others
Emeakayi petitions police, DSS over threats to his life

National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ali Modu Sheriff yesterday said he would allow God to decide on whether or not to contest the 2019 Presidential election.

Sheriff’s disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja just a few weeks after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fixed February 16, 2019 for the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

He also stated that the position of the national chairmanship of the party has been zoned to the Southern part of the country.

He explained that there was already an understanding among party stakeholders to zone the presidency to the north, adding that members of his National Working Committee (NWC) whose tenures are still running were free to contest for positions at the next convention.

Sheriff explained that for every position he had occupied in his political career, it was God that made it possible, stressing that as soon as the party concludes its ongoing consultation, it will set up a convention committee.

He also said the party was consulting with the party’s national ex-officio members in the 36 states of the federation while talking with lawmakers from National Assembly, State Assemblies as part of political solution recommended by the Seriake Dickson Committee.

Meanwhile, the PDP in Patani Local Government Area of Delta State have thrown its weight behind the Ahmed Markafi-led National Caretaker Committee of the party, and passed a vote of confidence on the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and other party leaders in the state.

Addressing PDP stakeholders at a meeting held at the PDP secretariat in Patani yesterday, the PDP chairman in the council area, Hon. Godspower Asiuwhu said the Makarfi leadership enjoys the followership of all PDP state governors and National Assembly Working Committee of the party.

Asiuwhu, while commending the party chieftains in the state said the Sheriff faction does not enjoy any followership in the area. Asiuwhu also affirmed that the party officials elected to man the ward to zonal offices remain intact as they were not a subject of the Port Harcourt Appeal Court ruling, which is being contested at the Supreme Court.

He urged party faithful to remain peaceful and united, noting that the development projects embarked upon by the Okowa administration were only a tip of the iceberg; assuring that more would soon follow in terms of development projects and empowerment of graduates of skill acquisition centers.

In a related development, the Anambra State Chairman of PDP, Prince Ken Emeakayi yesterday visited the Police headquarters and the Department of State Services (DSS) as follow-up to the earlier petitions to the security agencies over the alleged threats to his life by officials of the state government.