PDP crisis: Makarfi meets with N’Assembly caucus, Sheriff absent

The Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday met with the party’s National Assembly caucus.

The meeting, which held behind closed-doors at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, lasted for almost two hours.

Disclosing the details of the meeting, the spokesperson for the committee, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, told journalists that the meeting was part of the reconciliation process in the leadership of the party.

He said, “The members of the National Caretaker Committee led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi came in here today to brief our National Assembly caucus. The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives was here; the Deputy Senate President was also here. We had very good representation at this meeting.

“Basically, it was to brief them on the new developments in the party, particularly relating to the peace efforts that we are making in the party. We have to put them into confidence on some of the actions we have taken lately and ask for their own contribution because, after all, they are major critical stakeholders. They put us there, we need to consult with them, we need to brief them on developments from time to time.

“I’m happy to say that after the review of what has happened, we have come to the conclusion that the peace efforts already taken by the caretaker committee are in order. The National Assembly caucus has given full endorsement to all the efforts made so far by the National Caretaker Committee to reconcile all the aggrieved members of this great party.”

When asked why the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction did not attend the meeting, Adeyeye said, “We don’t have any faction in the PDP. I’ve said some people are aggrieved and we are trying to make peace with everybody. The PDP is one single body. In every party, you have people who could be aggrieved from time to time. We are making efforts to reconcile everybody.”

The PDP spokesperson denied knowledge of the inauguration of a parallel executive of the PDP in Delta State by the Sheriff group, saying, “We are not aware of it. We called Sheriff and he said he was not aware of it and denounced it.”

When also asked if the meeting discussed the outcome of the recent governorship election in Edo State, where the PDP is accusing the All Progressives Congress declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission as the winner, he accused the APC of robbing the PDP of its victory.

Adeyeye said, “We discussed it. We know that we were robbed in Edo State. We believe that we will have our day in court. And by the grace of God, we still have confidence in the judiciary. What happened in Edo State will not stand.”