The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised the party’s National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, to shun calls by praise singers to contest the May 21 National Convention. There have been reports of intense lobbying by the national chairman by some party stakeholders to support him to continue in office beyond the National Convention.
At a press conference yesterday, the Acting Chairman of BoT, Senator Walid Jubrin, said those asking Sheriff to stay in office beyond the three months approved by various organs of the party did not mean well for PDP.
“The recent courtesy calls to the national chairman and the presentations being made, especially calling him to continue beyond the stipulated three months tenure is an invitation to trouble, anarchy and the return of impunity in PDP,” Jubrin stated.
The national chairman, however, said he would not remain in office beyond the period approved for him by the various organs of PDP. Sheriff, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media, Inuwa Bwala, dismissed any notion that he wanted to stand for election in the party’s May 21 National Convention.
The BoT Acting Chairman observed that the PDP Governors’ Forum, the National Convention, the BoT and the National Executive Committee (NEC) unanimously approved that the tenure of the National Chairman and other National Working Committee (NWC) would terminate on May 21, 2016.
“The above responsible bodies have approved that the tenure of the national officers will end immediately after the convention when the new officers are duly elected. “The present NWC received an overwhelming ovation and admiration at the meeting of the national caucus, BoT and NEC by overlooking their 2017 tenure in support of the three months approval of the respected organs of the party which should strictly be complied with.
“Instead of listening to the praise singers, Modu Sherif should follow the path of honour and integrity by simply taking a bow in May 2016 after the national convention,” Jubrin added.
He warned of the dangers of not adhering to the recommendations of Ike Ekweremadu’s Post- Election Review Committee that the party should seek its 2019 presidential candidate from the North to compensate for the obvious violation of the zoning arrangement in the 2011 election, which led to a major apathy against the PDP in the North. This recommendation, he noted, has been approved by the various party organs.
According to the BoT Chairman, to change this decision is a further invitation to impunity, lack of party democracy, nonadherence to party zoning principles, influence of godfatherism, lack of respect for the decision of constituted party organs, self-imposition and death of the PDP.
His words: “Anyone who tries to reverse this position by changing it with another position will ever remain an enemy to the North, a mercenary and killer of PDP.
“The BoT strongly advises Modu Sherif to respect his oath and acceptance of the powerful organs of the PDP that he will stay for only three months, and allow his name to be written in gold by honourably leaving the scene in May after the convention. “Any group or individuals who are planning to destroy the party will not succeed as PDP is built on bedrock and to break it is difficult.
“All members of the party must unite not to allow themselves to be bought by anyone and not to be tempted with anything to divide and rule us. All PDP members must be ready to cooperate to say final bye-bye to impunity, lack of internal democracy, godfatherism and naked exhibition of man’s inhumanity to man by man.
“BoT shall resist any move by anybody to destroy the good foundation set by our founding fathers and mothers and shall remain the conscience of the party.”
Jubrin, however, said since Sherif has not come out to accept or reject the call for any tenure elongation, he should come out with a clear statement exonerating himself from such devilish plans and maintain his stand on the three months given him by NEC.
“If he does that, his honour and integrity will be more respected and will remain in the PDP record book of achievers,” he said. He stated that the BoT will meet next week to further strengthen its position.
