Sheriff walks out on Jonathan at PDP peace meeting

Ali Modu Sheriff, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday walked out of a stakeholders’ meeting organised by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Sheriff, who got to the venue of the meeting a few minutes after Jonathan, delivered his remarks before departing with members of his national working committee around 4:15pm.

Cairo Ojougboh, deputy national chairman, and Mikko Bernard, publicity secretary, were among those who left with him.

Addressing reporters before leaving, Sheriff expressed displeasure for not being allowed to make the opening remarks.

“We are here for PDP stakeholders meeting and the PDP has only one national chairman, which is Ali Modu Sheriff,” he said.

“There is no PDP meeting that will take place under whatever arrangement that will not open the session as national chairman. Today, I’m the most senior member of this party.”

He also said he would not be party to anything outside the report submitted to him by the national reconciliation committee led by Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa state.

“I think Gov Dickson made a proposal for reconciliation that we have accepted. Some people want to deviate from this programme, to bring agenda which was not part of it,” he said.

“As national chairman of the party, what I told you in my office when Dickson brought the report is the only thing that we have agreed to at this moment.

“I will not be party to anybody using me to do another programme. I’m not going to be part of it.”

Asked about the way forward for the party, Sheriff said: “As the national chairman of PDP, I will move on with the programmes initiated by Gov. Dickson.

“We are continuing with that; anything outside that, I’m not a party to it.”

However, the meeting continued in his absence.

Speaking after the parley, Jonathan regretted the action of Sheriff, but said the issues would be addressed when the committee presents its recommendations.

Sheriff and Makarfi were scheduled to deliver goodwill messages at the meeting.

Some of the members present were Tom Ikimi, a former minister; Uche Secondus, former acting chairman of the party; Olisa Metuh, ex-PDP spokesman; Saminu Turaki, former governor of Jigawa state and Adolphus Wabara, ex-Senate president.

Also present were some PDP governors, former ministers, and the BoT members, among others.