The Ahmed Makarfi faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has alleged that the National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, is holding the party to ransom, because he wants to become president in 2019.
Sheriff had on Monday, said PDP’s presidential ticket will be zoned to the North.
Reacting to Sheriff’s statement, the Makarfi faction, said: “Yesterday (Monday), while addressing newsmen, as he continues to illegally occupy our Party Secretariat with the backings of the APC Government, the former Borno State Governor clearly stated that he’s interested in contesting the 2019 Presidential Elections using the platform of our Party, the PDP.
“We said it earlier, but most non Party members as well as some members of the Party who could not see beyond the curtains didn’t believe it, but we were sure that Senator Sheriff was holding the Party to ransom because he wanted to hijack the Party and use it for his selfish interest.
“Now, the truth has been revealed. Senator Sheriff has told the entire world that his fight for the soul of the PDP was to achieve a set objective which he has been working towards since January 2016 when he was appointed to office just to complete the tenure of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur cum Adamu Muazu who resigned having led the Party to electoral failure in 2015.
“The stories in the newspapers today were clear enough.
“For the records, he was asked if he would contest the 2019 Presidential Election and he responded ‘….I only told you I wouldn’t run for chairman at the convention. The rest we will leave it for God to decide.’ What a clever way to announce his presidential ambition!
“The National Caretaker Committee had raised the concern that Senator Sheriff was not interested in conducting a Convention that will be in the interest of the Party and all Party members but was planning a Convention that will put his cronies in critical party positions who will then rubber-stamp his candidacy when the time to pick the PDP candidate for 2019 Presidential Election comes.
“We are worried that some important Party leaders also could not see beyond the facade, tagging along with Senator Sheriff as he drags the Party through the mud in his bid at achieving his selfish ambition.
“We hope perceptible minds in the Party can now see why it is extremely dangerous to trust Sheriff with the organization of any convention.
“We know quite well that a Sheriff as the presidential candidate of the PDP will be a real delight for the APC. That’s as good as having your sparring partner as your opponent in a major bout.
“We want to make a serious contention for power in 2019. We don’t want to field a candidate who is the captain of the second team of the Ruling Party.”
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