The Head of the Peoples Democratic Party’s reconciliation committee, Prof. Jerry Gana, on Tuesday said Nigerians are yearning and crying for the return of the party into power.
The PDP relinquished power at the federal level in 2015 when it lost to the All Progressive Congress after 16 years of dominance in the country’s presidential elections. Since the lost, the party has been embroiled in different turmoils, the most recent being the face off between Senator Ahmed Makarfi and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who are engaged in a legal battle over the leadership of the party.
In a bid to resolve the crisis, the PDP Board of Trustees, led by Senator Walid Jibrin, inaugurated an 18-man reconciliation committee to unite party stalwarts.
Speaking after a meeting with Sheriff, Gana said the committee had taken note of the problems causing disaffection within the party.
He said, “We are here to find out together how PDP can be solid, firm, cohesive and triumphant.
“This is because Nigerians are waiting for PDP, they are missing the PDP, they are crying and yearning for PDP because the 16 years of democracy cannot be wasted away.
“We are here not as a panel, not as a court, not even as an appeal committee but from the BoT as heirs of the family.
“In a family there must be sometimes problems here and there but there must be re-consolidation. Where there are elders people say things don’t go wrong.
“The purpose of our being here is for this party to be strong again and be reunited.
“We are delighted that there have been clear resolutions on the determination and the desire that the problems be resolved, unity be re-established and for PDP to move forward.”
On his party, the disputed National Chairman of the PDP, Sheriff, said that the rule of law must prevail for the party’s crisis to be resolved.
He said that the crisis continues to linger because leaders in the party are not alive to their responsibilities and keep perpetuating it.
He said, “I am ready to listen at any time to the committee but for the crisis to be fully resolved, the rule of law must be followed.
“The moment we want to use one impunity to address another, it will not work.
“If our leaders had taken their responsibilities, we would never have had most of the problems we are facing today.
“When a leader refuses to stand up to his responsibilities, there will be problem.
“Why am I saying this?
“Some of our leaders are party to our problems.”
Briefing newsmen after a closed-door session, Sheriff commended the efforts of the BoT toward reconciling feuding parties and affirmed his availability now that the BoT was now better informed on the crisis.
He said, “All that was discussed today were the problems. They will go back to the BoT that sent them.
“I am sure that in the next meeting, they will come back with recommendations that will bring lasting solutions and peace to the party.”
NAN
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