The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Reconciliation Committee, Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has described the lingering crisis in the party as “self inflicted” and avoidable.
This was even as he expressed hope that the party would soon swim pass troubled waters.
Addressing Journalists on Sunday in Abuja, Dickson, who is the Governor of Bayelsa State, bemoaned the current state of the leadership crisis, which he said has caused a lot of havoc to the party.
He said his reconciliation committee had drawn the template, through which a lasting peace could be restored to the party, adding that urgent national convention was imperative to ending the stalemate.
“There must be a template to work with, before any political solution could be possible.
“As politicians, the more we disagree, the more we should meet. This culture of intolerance and disrespect for one another should stop.
“My position now, is that we have to move forward. I am a politician of conviction, I am not a politician of convenience and I am not a typical Nigerian politician,” Dickson said.
He said the party had come to a threshold when the right political decision should be taken to end the prolonged crisis.
The Governor said he had met separately with Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi, to intimate them on the recommendations of his committee.
Though he said it was only Sheriff that accepted the outcome of the committee’s report wholeheartedly, but he said Makarfi would soon see reasons why he should embrace the peace talk, adding that most of the contents of the template favoured the Makarfi faction.
Dickson said the template to ensure the conduct of the party’s National Convention in June was uppermost and would see to the emergence of fresh PDP leadership.
“So, if you said you are passionate about the survival of the party, then you should be willing to sacrifice your ambition”, he said.
The Bayelsa Governor lamented the havoc the crisis had caused the party, especially, the dangerous defection of elected lawmakers at various levels.
He said, “The crisis has caused us a lot, our elected officials, top notch members are decamping to even lesser parties.
“The party continues to fail Nigerians because the crisis has so far prevented it from being a sound credible opposition even in the face of bad governance in the country right now”.
On whether it was right to challenge the decision of the Court of Appeal, Mr. Dickson said an amicable resolution of the crisis remained the best option.
“Yes, we said they can go on to appeal but without prejudice to the Supreme Court case, let us intensify and fast track the peace moves,” he said.
Dickson, therefore, called on party leaders and stakeholders, to as a matter of sacrifice, mediate between the factions, to make the committee’s work tenable.
He said, “Leaders of the party must make sacrifice now, those who should intervene should intervene now.
“If you say you are a genuine leader or stakeholder of PDP, you should be the first to make sacrifice.
“PDP is bigger than Sheriff and Makarfi. PDP and APC are now national institutions that everyone must cherish”.
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