The immediate past Deputy National Chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Uche Secondus, has handed over the affairs of the party to the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee until a national convention is held to elect new set of party leaders.
The handing-over ceremony held on Tuesday at the PDP’s headquarters, Wadata Plaza, under the guidance of the party’s Board of Trustees.
The secretariat was recently reopened by the Nigerian Police which had sealed it following the crisis in the party that led to the emergence of three leadership, each claiming legitimacy.
A meeting of all concerned organs of the PDP was held Monday night at the Ondo State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja in which the BoT, Makarfi group, as well as the group loyal to a former Minister of Information, Jerry Gana, and some members of the immediate past National Working Committee, under Modu Sheriff, agreed to work together.
“We are here to formally hand over to the caretaker committee appointed by the convention and we assure you that all politics is local, our leaders must go back to the grassroots, it is not enough to be in Abuja,” Mr. Secondus said.
“We no longer have government, we no longer have security forces, we don’t have money, and so what matters now is the grassroot, the popularity of the leaders to be able to deliver.”
Before taking over the party’s leadership, Mr. Makarfi had told the press at the end of Monday night’s meeting that Mr. Sheriff would have been part of the meeting except that he had travelled out of the country.
One of the Peoples Democracy Party member who make out time and speak to our newsmen were the member of Federal House of Representatives. Hon. Agbonayinma J. Ehiozwa. He said ”’without missing words that the new leadership of PDP is a strong and united party and that senator Ahmed Makarfi is a well know man and his capacity to lead the party to greater height and that PDP is one party and nothing an divide us. and Makarfi is a Nigerian who believed in one Nigeria and those members of federal house who decamped sighting party division will soon loose their seats although some of them have confided on me that they are will to come back and I urge PDP to be willing in accepting them back to PDP.
When put of question concerning Ali Modu Sherrif absence in all stakeholders peace reconciliation effort. he said that senator Ali modu sharrif is not a bone of contention here because service is not by force, ” He should realised that same people who called you to serve are the same people who said your service is no longer required. He further stressed that PDP is not on trial because senator Ali Modu sharrif is not the bone of contention, the party that is on trial is APC who came with a lot of change agenda and as you can see APC have failed because Nigerians are suffering today virtually all political party are suffering, APC , APGA and Labour all are suffering but come 2019 PDP will change that Change and will regain presidency come 2019.
— Okorochukwu Ikechukwu ( Correspondent)
