The intractable crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has got its women raising up hands heaven-ward for help, but the chairman of the party’s Peace and Reconciliation Committee, Governor Seriake Dickson, thinks that the leaders in the opposition party should simply just obey the courts of the land, allow Senator Ali Modu Sherrif be national chairman and begin its healing process.
A notice calling for a five-day prayer and fasting, the PDP Women Forum, available to everyday.ng,reads: “Ladies, one of the outcome of our meeting of last week was a call by many women for prayers for our dear party. We are doing what the meeting directed us. You are please requested to add the PDP crisis as a special item in your prayers next week.
“If you can fast, please do not hesitate to do so too. There is nothing God cannot do. We will continue to remind ourselves of this call for prayer all of next week. Please bear with me when I repeat.
“For our Women Leaders across the states, please organize prayers at the level of the states too. I will reach out to all state women leaders i have their contacts…please help us reach out too and encourage them to pray. God bless. Thank you.”
In his own comments while briefing journalists at the weekend, Dickson said: “All these characters who are now blackmailing Sheriff and opposing him as the national chairman of the PDP are the very people who went to Port Harcourt twice to elect Sheriff and I stayed away.”
“But now, as you know, the Court of Appeal has given judgment to Sheriff declaring him as the national chairman of the party. For me, that presents another opportunity to attempt an amicable political resolution of the issues so that the party can move forward.”
“But we have to respect the judiciary. As democrats and as politicians, who derive our legitimacy from our constitution. Our first duty is to respect the laws and the institutions of democracy.”
“The verdict of the Court of Appeal which proclaims Sheriff as the national chairman of the party means that whether we like it or not, in the eyes of the law and in fact from that day of pronouncement, Makarfi and his caretaker team cease to have legal authority to conduct PDP business any more.”
“Whether we like it or not, from that day, Sheriff is the only one that has the legitimacy to conduct the affairs of PDP in Nigeria.”
“As we speak, since the day the judgment was given, Sheriff has been acting; not only is he at the national secretariat of PDP, he is also the one choosing and sending names of candidates in states that are doing elections to INEC.”
“In fact, if there were to be a by-election in Kaduna today, where Makarfi comes from, Makarfi would not be in a position to send a name for INEC to accept.”
“That is the political reality that everybody in the PDP needs to accept, whether you like Sheriff’s face or not. I don’t also support Sheriff on what he has done but I acknowledge that reality.”
However, many are looking up to the Supreme Court this week to end the crisis in the party, as it is expected to deliver judgment based on an appeal by Governor Ahmed Makarfi faction.
Political analysts fear that whichever group wins, the losers may find a way to continue crisis.
