We won’t reconcile with Sheriff, South West PDP tells Jonathan

• Caretaker committee will not engage in parallel congresses • Mark seeks truce

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened yesterday as some leaders of the party in the South West ruled out the possibility of further meeting with the Senator Ali Sheriff Modu faction.

The party leaders, led by the governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, National Vice Chairman, South West, Eddy Olafeso and other notable leaders, said the zone has foreclosed possibility of any reconciliation , even if summoned by former President Goodluck Jonathan, who is the party’s leader.

The caucus, however, saluted Jonathan’s courage for his reconciliation efforts, particularly the one that ended in fiasco last week, when Sheriff stormed out of a meeting called to reconcile with Ahmed Makarfi group.

Addressing journalists after the meeting , Fayose said : “We laud former President Jonathan for the initiative, he has proven to be a good leader. He meant well and we stand by him . But let it be expressly stated that we won’t reconcile with Sheriff. The door of reconciliation with Sheriff is shut.

“We believe in dialogue but not with impossible people. We knew that the PDP has a problem and when the Supreme Court adjudicates on the contentious matter before it, we will know whether we will stay together or go our different ways,” Fayose said.

Meanwhile, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi said that members of the committee would avoid conducting parallel congresses during the gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

Makarfi, however urges the state chapters of the PDP where elections are to be conducted in future to ensure that they produce popular candidates who will enjoy the majority support of members and avoid any situation where votes will be divided on factional lines in conceding defeat to opponents of the party.

He spoke in Kaduna yesterday, while reacting to the crisis in the party and efforts by former President Jonathan and other stakeholders to broker peace and ensure that PDP survives.

Senator Makarfi said that the members of the caretaker committee of PDP still enjoy the support of all the stakeholders.The caretaker committee Chairman also stressed the danger of Senator Sherrif insisting on leading the party without any support base from PDP faithful.

Also, former Senate President, David Mark, is seeking truce in the leadership crisis rocking the party.At an expanded caucus meeting in Makurdi, Benue State, yesterday, Mark stated: “PDP will  come out stronger from this crisis. Those cross carpeting at will, have no  direction. They have no respect for political ideology.

“No matter the difficulties and challenges, I will remain in the PDP. I am convinced about the party’s ideology.’’Mark urged his party members to work hard and remain steadfast on the forthcoming local government elections in Benue.