‘Sheriff’s tenure must end March 28’

Dissatisfied with the three-month grace for the new National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), Sen. Modu Ali Sheriff, some members of the PDP Ministers Forum may go to court to seek an injunction restraining him from leading the party.

Ali Modu Sheriff

They described Sheriff’s election and ratification by the National Executive Committee as illegal.

Also, the ex-ministers have asked Sheriff to step down latest by March 28.

It was learnt that some of the ex-ministers opted for court action following the refusal of some organs of the party to limit Sheriff’s mandate to the completion of the tenure of ex-National Chairman Adamu Mu’azu.

A source in the forum said: “We have weighed all options. Some of our members have decided to go to court to seek an injunction because the process leading to his nomination and selection was illegal.”

These aggrieved members have also resolved to ask the court to stop Sheriff from being the National Chairman of PDP beyond March 28.

“We will file our application in court any moment from now.”

In a communiqué at the end of their session on Tuesday, the ex-ministers rejected the three-month tenure given Sheriff by some organs of the party.

The communiqué, which was signed by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki(SAN) and Chief Ojo Maduekwe, said: “We the Peoples’ Democratic Party ministers from 1999-2015 (hereinafter referred to as ‘The Forum’) met on Tuesday, 23rd February, 2016 in Abuja and deliberated on recent developments in the party, among other issues.

“The forum reiterates and affirms our commitment to the ideals and core values of the founding principles of our great party.

“Having considered the decision of the National Executive Committee of PDP in the last executive Committee meeting of Tuesday 16th February, 2016, the forum resolves as follows:

• The forum rejects Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff as National Chairman of the PDP due to the illegitimacy of the process that purportedly brought him in.


• The forum commends and supports the stand of the Board of Trustees of the Party for their rejection of the imposition of Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff for lack of transparency and internal democracy in the process.


• The forum calls for the conduct of congresses at all levels of the party, leading to a National convention that should be held before the 28th of March, 2016 to return power to the people in tandem with the constitution of our Party and as encapsulated in our party’s motto: “Power to the People”.


• The forum condemns all acts of impunity in the running of the affairs of the party, at all levels and implores all members to respect the constitution of the party and that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

A group, Osun Ibile Forum, has warned Sheriff over his threat against former Aviation Minister , Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.

In a statement signed by its Coordinator , Prince  Adeoluwa Adesegun, the group said Chief Fani-Kayode’s statement on Boko Haram was already in public domain.

The group queried  why  Sheriff should issue personal warning on an issue already of public knowledge.

‘Sheriff’s tenure must end March 28’

Members didn"t expect Sheriff as Chairman - Metuh reveals

By Ehi Ekhator

The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh has reacted to the grumbles by some members of the party concerning the decision to select Ali Modu Sheriff as its National Chairman.

Ali Modu Sheriff

While speaking with NAIJA CENTER NEWS on Sunday, Chief Metuh disclosed that PDP members didn’t expect Sheriff as the party Chairman since he didn’t signify interest in the position.

He said that he believes in the new chairman judging from his experiences in politics.

Metuh took a swipe on the opposition members who decided to make this about them and Boko Haram, wondering  how come Sheriff was not a member of the terrorist group, as alleged by some, when he was a member of the All Progressives Congress.

Metuh said “I think the choice of Ali Modu Sheriff was unexpected by some of our party people, and the first reaction we are seeing is the shock of surprise to the emergence being that he never declared interest in the contest. It is expected that people are a bit surprised at the turn of event.

“Haven’t said that, the basic thing is that the NEC committee has done its job. The constitution says a person will be elected from the North East zone, we have done that and everything was followed.

“The chairman has started well by saying he is going to reach out to other people in terms of reconciliation. He is starting well by saying he is going to look inward to make the party strong. Let the party members and the organs be much more united than they have ever been. These are good signs to mean that, because it is only when you are strong that you can get ready to face the competition outside.

Explaining why Sheriff selection is very important to the progress of the party, Metuh said ” We didn’t lose the election because our rivals brought something new. They didn’t bring something new, they didn’t bring a new candidate, a new set of people, they brought people with a lot of experience, and they brought a candidate who has lost election for four times.

Olisah Metuh

“What is needed now is practical politics. In terms of practicality, is he going to be effective, useful to the party? We ask that our members give the chairman time to settle down and bring out his own program for the party. He comes very experienced; he comes with a lot of political benefit and goodwill. He is a grass root politician. House of reps, three times elected senator, two times elected governor and wide network of contacts. Let us see how it goes.

“Alimodu Sheriff is not going to be the sole administrator of the party. He is going to be a national chairman with eleven other members of the National Working Committee. The NWC is going to work in hand with the Governor’s Forum, PDP leaders in the National Assembly, the Board of Trustee and other people to make sure we move this party ahead.

“Since we lost the election, we have done very well. We have won majority of the elections that was held since May 29. It means the leadership of the party is working well and Ali Modu Sheriff is joining that winning leadership of the party with his own experience, benefit and quality and together we will continue to build on it and make sure the party is built to face the challenges ahead”

Modu Sheriff selection has brought more gap between members of the opposition as many accused him of having links with the dreaded terrorist group, Boko Haram.

It was gathered that some members of the party are already withdrawing their memberships while the Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko who is the Chairman of the PDP Governor Forum, has intervened by inviting ex-ministers of the former President, Goodluck Jonathan for a discussion.

A video also emerged on the social media where Goodluck JOnathan described Modu Sheriff as a friend of Boko Haram.

Explaining to NAIJA CENTER NEWS, the National Publicity Secretary quoted a statement credited to the new party Chairman that he is not a friend but an enemy to the terrorist group.

Metuh said Sheriff was the APC Chairman Board of Trustee and he led ANPP into joining forces with other parties that brought about APC, and then he was not a member of the sect.

He questioned the sincerity in the sudden realization that the new chairman is a member of the terrorist group whereas two weeks ago, the APC was celebrating his planned defection both on social and print media.

“What i can tell you is that the national chairman has made a statement on Tuesday in an interview where he disclosed that he never had any contact or accepted them; he reported them to the police several times. He is actually their enemy in the sense that they killed his blood brother, killed the state chairman of his party, killed the gubernatorial candidate of his party in 2011, and there was a time that Boko Haram outlawed him and chased him out of Borno.

“There is a point that he made that is very important. He said nobody called him Boko Haram when he was in APC as chairman of the Board of Trustee, nobody called him Boko Haram when he led the ANPP into joining APC, nobody called him Boko Haram when they found APC and was working with them but the moment he came to PDP, they started saying he is Boko Haram, now as Chairman they tag him Boko Haram.

“But two weeks before he was nominated as National Chairman, there was a rumour that he was joining APC and he was being well celebrated in the social and print media by APC people. Suddenly, less than two weeks later, he emerges as National Chairman of PDP and they remembered he is Boko Haram. I can’t speak for him but he is saying categorically that he is being sponsored by the enemy of his politics.

Metuh assured that the choice of Sheriff will not bring more division, adding that the Chairman will add value to the party.

“I don’t think it will bring division. There will be no division, he has come to join the winning team, he has a lot of value to add and he is not a minor in any means.” He said.

 

Members didn"t expect Sheriff as Chairman - Metuh reveals

Buhari would have arrested me if I had links with Boko Haram - Ali Modu Sheriff

Ahamefula Ogbu and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The newly appointed National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ali Modu- Sheriff has said there was no link between him and the dreaded terrorists group, Boko Haram.

Ali Modu Sheriff

Modu Sheriff whose emergence this week as the new man at the helms of affairs in the opposition party has been viewed by critics as a minus, said such insinuation about his sponsorship of terrorists exists only as a figment of the imagination of the authors of the blackmailing script.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with THISDAY, the former Borno State governor reminded Nigerians, he had also been a victim of the Boko Haram attacks which led to the death of his blood brother as well as other relations.

“Boko Haram wanted to kill me at a time because they believed that I was the one that reported them to President Umaru Yar’Adua to destroy their enclave. It was after I left government that they moved to their different camps and bushes. Why should they kill my brother? Why should they kill my family if I am a sponsor of Boko Haram? Is there anywhere in the world that you sponsor people to kill you?”

Sheriff said Nigerians should ask those out to blackmail him why they did not raise the matter when he was in APC, adding that it was immediately he left the APC that he was labelled Boko Haram sponsor.

“Let me give you a typical example. Just a week ago, all the social media planted my picture showing me with the card of APC joining the party. At that time, nobody wrote that I was Boko Haram. They said Sheriff was going back to APC; they were showing a card when we registered with APC before I left the party. We went to our villages to do it; that village they are showing on the social media was a village that was taken over by Boko Haram for the past three years. So, how could I have gone there to register?

“Few days after I became the Chairman of the PDP, Ali Sheriff is now Boko Haram; so if you are in APC you are not a Boko Haram. Throughout my period in APC, nobody said I was Boko Haram. Immediately I left the APC, I was termed Boko Haram,” he said.

Sheriff who was a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and one of its leading lights before he fell out with the leadership sometime last year, said he would have been prosecuted by President Muhammadu Buhari if the allegations against me were true.

“Nobody in my family or relation is Boko Haram or close to any Boko Haram member. These people that wanted to kill me, up till today, if they have the chance, they will kill me because they think I reported them to Yar’Adua who leveled their places of worship and along the line, their leader was killed.

“And that was my crime and why they wanted to kill me. But people that are afraid of me changed the story and they keep on doing it. Every day, they write different things but you and I know that nobody is above the laws of Nigeria. I believe that President Buhari, even if it is his son or blood brother that is a Boko Haram, he will arrest and prosecute him. So the allegation is the figment of the imagination of the writers,” he said.

On what he intends to do to restore lost hope in the PDP, Sheriff said he would  hit the road as soon he concludes the handing over, pacifying aggrieved members, asking them to come back.

“It is a home they built and it is a home that they should not leave. I will visit the zones, I will visit the states and I will visit individuals whose sacrifices made the party what it was and insha Allah, we will succeed in rebuilding the party.

“PDP will be rebuilt, will be reunited, PDP will come together. I formed a party from the scratch that won elections all over Nigeria; the UNCP which was short-lived was built by me and we won elections all over Nigeria.

“I won election to the senate and 80 per cent of those that won election at that time were from UNCP. I, by the grace of God, with few other leaders like Jerry Useni who is still alive and Issah Mohammed built it together and it won election all over Nigeria.  So, I have the capacity to rebuild PDP,” he said.

Buhari would have arrested me if I had links with Boko Haram - Ali Modu Sheriff

2019 Election: APC replies Modu Sheriff on statement to reclaim power

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has reacted to a declaration by the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Modu Sheriff, that he would lead his party to reclaim federal power in the 2019 election.

Ali Modu Sheriff

Mr. Sheriff, who was named PDP chairman on Tuesday, made the declaration on Wednesday.

The APC responded Thursday with a statement below:

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to in reacting to the laughable comments credited to the newly-selected National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ali Modu Sheriff, is mindful of the 16th century English language proverb and nursery rhyme “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride”.

In monitored media reports, Ali Modu Sheriff boasted in Umuahia, the Abia State capital that the ailing PDP which lost power in 2015 will regain control of the federal government in 2019. Ali Modu Sheriff was also quoted saying the PDP would soon come out with its “master plan” to regain power.

The APC is reluctant to join issues with Ali Modu Sheriff’s idle 2019 postulations and would rather join issues that will bring about all-inclusive development in the country.

However, the APC and indeed Nigerians seriously hope the touted “master plan” includes how the PDP and its cronies will return public funds stolen under the PDP’s watch for 16 years.

Nigerians are aware that the current economic hardship and institutional rot was caused by the PDP’s 16-year misrule and pillage. President Muhammadu Buhari has been working assiduously to correct the PDP’s years of damage and bring about people-centric governance. It is baffling how the PDP expects Nigerians to abandon APC’s smooth sailing ship for a sinking and rudderless PDP ship, come 2019.

The 2015 elections has been won and lost. The priority of the present APC administration is to deliver on election promises made by the party to Nigerians who long-desired change of political leadership at the federal level and in many states.

Happily, Nigerians can look back, with relief and attest that since the APC-led administration took over governance, Nigeria is back on the right track – economically and security-wise – and has taken its right of place among the comity of progressive nations.

The widely-acclaimed job creation, social welfare and inclusion programmes proposed by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has been well received. The full implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) by the present administration has greatly plugged revenue leakages.

The presidential directive to the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to adjust its pricing template to reflect competitive and market driven components has‎ resulted in a more efficient and realistic pricing system for petroleum products and also brought about constant availability of fuel nationwide.

Nigeria is winning the war against insurgency.

In spite of desperate attempts to discredit ongoing anti-corruption efforts, the war against graft is being won.

In reiterating the recent submission of the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, for the first time in many years, Nigeria now has a solidly positive international image and the president is trying to cash in on this image to help rescue our nation from the throes, the economic morass which the PDP 16-year misrule has plunged Nigeria.

These are clear indicators showing that the APC and the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is on the right track to delivering on its Change Agenda. With the support and prayers of Nigerians, the APC assures that Nigeria will reach its full potential under our leadership.

2019 Election: APC replies Modu Sheriff on statement to reclaim power