PDP Crisis: I won’t step down for Sheriff – Makarfi

(Taiwo Amodu, ABUJA)

Former Kaduna state governor and chairman of the PDP caretaker committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi has dismissed as mere speculation, claim that he has opened discussion with former chairman of the dissolved national working committee, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff with the motive of stepping down for the latter.

The former Borno state governor had on Monday stormed the national secretariat and took over its administration.

Former national vice-chairman, South-south, Cairo Ojougboh at a news briefing yesterday claimed that Senator Ahmed Makarfi has accepted Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the legitimate chairman of the party.

But addressing newsmen at his residence in Abuja, Senator Makarfi dismissed the claim as fraudulent.
He said:” That’s very fraudulent. I saw him, (Senator Sheriff) at the convention of course, but I haven’t sat privately with Modu Sheriff in the last 3 months, or anybody representing him not to talk of me making such a statement.

“I haven’t granted any press statement. If that is the case, how can it be that the only statement I would make is to apologise to him and express support for him? “There is no basis for that, absolutely no basis for that. This is what we are trying to get rid from PDP and all the so called court orders, judgment being bandied about aren’t really true. We know what the courts have said, the court never stopped any convention, of course it said do not elect and we didn’t elect and the order which was said to be vacated and that’s the Port Harcourt court order hasn’t been vacated and the IGP and INEC till today said it is an existing order.

“So, I really don’t know why they are spreading falsehood.”

The former Kaduna state governor however disclosed that he was open to dialogue that would ensure the amicable resolution of the seemingly protracted impasse facing the party.

“All said and done, I still believe that the path towards resolving political problem is dialogue, accomodation and I am open to that.

“But as I am open to dialogue, accomodation so that we become one strong united family once again but it is very, very unfair to make a fraudulent statement that there is a document purported to have been issued by me. That never, ever happened and I never even dreamt about it not to talk of issuing it.”