Mark, Gusau, others begged Jonathan to convene peace meeting, says Makarfi

Urges PDP Members To Boycott Sheriff’s Convention

The Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has explained how former President Goodluck Jonathan was persuaded to convene the April 6, 2017 peace meeting of the party stakeholders.

The Committee made the assertion at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, and urged all party members to stay away from the convention being planned by the Ali Modu Sheriff-led National Working Committee (NWC) to elect principal officers of the party.

The Sheriff faction of the PDP had on Thursday alleged that Jonathan was recruited by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike to convene the last peace meeting.

Yesterday’s press conference which was addressed by the spokesman of the caretaker committee, Dayo Adeyeye, pointed out that some PDP leaders had at a meeting held at the home of former National Security Adviser (NSA), General Aliu Gusau (rtd) in Asokoro, Abuja mandated former President of the Senate, David Mark and him (Gusau) to persuade Jonathan to convene a peace meeting to reconcile the party’s warring factions.

He said: “For the record, the last stakeholders meeting convened and chaired by the former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was not sponsored by Wike or Fayose as alleged by Cairo Ojougboh.

“The need for the meeting was agreed upon at the residence of Gusau in the presence of Sheriff, Prof Wale Oladipo, Mark, Makarfi and Senator Ben Obi. Gusau and Mark were mandated at that meeting to approach Jonathan to convene an all-inclusive meeting of stakeholders to chart a way forward for a lasting peace in the party.

“In the light of the above therefore, it is uncharitable for Ojougboh to allege that the stakeholders meeting was organized and sponsored by Wike and Fayose.

The caretaker committee declared that until the case pending before the Supreme Court was decided, the party would not convene any national convention.It also dismissed claims that all PDP governors except those of Rivers and Ekiti states were in support of Sheriff as baseless.

Adeyeye thanked the party members and other stakeholders in the South-East and South-South zones of the country for not participating in the campaign by Sheriff adding: “The presence of the two deputy governors was solely on grounds of hospitality. The PDP is not organising any campaign or rally around the country at the moment and we urge our members to remain steadfast and continue to ignore any meeting called by Sheriff and his naysayers.

“There will be no elective National Convention of the PDP as postulated by Sheriff until the Appeal before the Supreme Court is decided. All our state chapters are advised to ignore any purported directive from the renegades.”