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Makarfi: Blame Sheriff for deepening crisis in PDP

By Saxone Akhaine, Northern Bureau Chief
13 November 2016   |   4:32 am
In an interview with The Guardian, Markafi claimed that after reaching consensus on some issues, Sheriff would change the goal post, deviating from the terms and understanding reached.
Sheriff

Sheriff

No Individual Can Hold The Party To Ransom, Says Sheriff

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, has blamed Ali Modu Sheriff for refusing to keep to the peace agreement signed by the two factions, saying that is why peace has continued to elude the party.

In an interview with The Guardian, Markafi claimed that after reaching consensus on some issues, Sheriff would change the goal post, deviating from the terms and understanding reached.

“He is the one always changing the goal post. My fear is that he may not be in complete control of the situation on his side, because there are different people with different interests. And if their interests are not served, which may be localised, they will not give room for peace.

“So, if that is the case, how do you sit down and make peace, believing that you have solved the problem and only for the next day, you see that the problem is still there,” the former Kaduna State governor revealed.

The caretaker chairman further disclosed that the two camps agreed to set up equal number of party men and women that would sit down to look at the modality of resolving the issues.

Makarfi said: “Initially, the committee was to be made up of twelve from both sides, later Ali Modu Sheriff thought we should expand it to 14, 14. We said it was a good idea. Later, I sent a message that we needed to expand it to 15 – 15 because, instead of two governors, we wanted to include three governors in order to carry everybody along.

“That was how we hit the figure 15 -15. And the issue was who to chair the committee and the terms of reference. In my opinion, I thought the person who was able to convene us without dispute, should be able to chair the committee. Modu Sherrif suggested former President Goodluck Jonathan. We said that he shouldn’t be dragged into it; more so, we don’t know how it will end up. If it ends up well, fine and well. Supposing it doesn’t end up well, you would have succeeded in bringing down his stature as the immediate past President.”

According to him, Sheriff later felt that the 30-man committee was too large and should be reduced to six-man committee, which he (Makarfi) felt, was too small.

He added: “There was also a meeting between the three of us; the Northern leader, Modu and myself, where he tried to personalise the issues, saying both himself and I should leave the scene.”

In his response to the allegations, acting National Publicity Secretary of the Sheriff faction, Bernard Mikko, challenged Makarfi to come up with specific points of the agreement that Sheriff reneged.

Mikko declared that there is no secret in the administration of public affairs, particularly intra party affairs, stressing, “Without agreement, there will be no disagreement.”

He added: “Sen Ali Modu Sheriff has publicly acquiesced to a transition that will convoke a National Executive Committee meeting and usher in a unity convention in Abuja, where party executives will be elected.

“What are the issues that have been personalised? No individual or group can hold the PDP to ransom and Sen. Sheriff is prepared at anytime to make the necessary sacrifice or contribution within the limits of the law to remove impunity and bring the party back to grassroots.”

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