PDP governors disagree on peace move by Makarfi, Sheriff

• It’s a right step – Ikpeazu
• We were not consulted, says Fayose

Two Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors yesterday differed on the peace process announced by the two warring factions of the party led by Senators Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu Sheriff.

Governors Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and his Ekiti counterpart, Ayodele Fayose who spoke with State House correspondents on the issue at the Presidential Villa, Abuja after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting yesterday expressed different views on the move to reconcile the two factions.

While Ikpeazu said the step was in the right direction, Fayose rejected the development. He said only the Court of Appeal can resolve the party’s leadership crisis, arguing that they have not been briefed.

According to Ikpeazu, in the end, the reconciliation move will be a victory for the party and the country.

He noted that the long period of the crisis had affected the party and also provided it with new opportunities to grow stronger.

“So, I think the PDP has the resilience and what it takes to bounce back as a party,” Ikpeazu said.

Fayose, however, disagreed with Ikpeazu on the issue, declaring that, “it will not work unless the matter is decided on by the Appeal Court.”

He said governors had not been consulted while the cases in court had not been withdrawn.

According to him: “You see, I’m not against anything called resolution within the party, but everybody must wait for the Court of Appeal to resolve this matter.

“Matters are in court, nobody has withdrawn anyone and they are resolving. What are you resolving?

“When cases are in court you, allow the court to lay them to rest. The moment this thing doesn’t favour one side, they will tell you ‘we are still in court.’

“But allow the court to take a stand and reconciliation would be made easy. I’m not against anybody reconciling with each other but when you see that meeting, ask the conveners if governors were briefed.