TheNewsGuru

Tag: PDP

  • PDP S’Court Judgement: Sheriff disowns social media account, says ‘I did not congratulate Makarfi’

    …Says party now in the hands of looters

    Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has disowned a social media account on Twitter where he purportedly congratulated Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic party chairman following the Supreme Court judgement on Wednesday.

    Sheriff also noted that that the party has now been handed over to those he described as treasury looters.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Supreme Court on Wednesday sacked Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff who had hitherto held sway as the party’s chairman. The court reinstated Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic and recognised chairman.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that as part of efforts to start a national reconciliation process to bring aggrieved members of the party who had either defected to other parties or distanced themselves from the former ruling party, the spokesperson for the Makarfi-led committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, had on Thursday said it was offering Sheriff and his group “amnesty”, adding that nobody would be punished for the loss which the party had suffered since the beginning of the crisis. He, however, warned that the party would not condone further negative actions by Sheriff and his group.

    But Sheriff, who spoke through the spokesperson for the National Working Committee sacked by the Supreme Court, Mr. Bernard Mikko, said it was wrong for the Makarfi-led caretaker committee to have said the PDP would grant him and members of his former executive committee “amnesty”.

    Others in Sheriff’s camp include the party’s former National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo; Sheriff’s deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, and some members of the National Assembly.

    The Sheriff-led faction also had the support of some state chapters of the party and some governors.

    Mikko, in a message sent to our correspondent, described Adeyeye’s statement as reckless, saying that “amnesty” ought to be given to those who had committed offence against the party.

    He said that Sheriff and his group did not occupy the national secretariat of the party illegally, adding that the party belonged to all.

    He said, “I take exception to the reckless statement credited to Prince Dayo Adeyeye, suggesting that amnesty has been granted to Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, his National Working Committee and supporters. Amnesty is a reprieve for those who have committed offence under our statute.”

    According to Mikko, Sheriff and his camp were forced to vacate the party’s national secretariat by the police.

    He said, “However, the office was officially reopened for us after we presented the Certified True Copy of the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, to the Inspector- General of Police.

    “I am, therefore, concerned about the future of our party in the hands of some of those who are known to have pending criminal cases, bordering (on) fraud, treasury looting and dishonesty, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

    “The Supreme Court of Nigeria is the highest court in our land and we await the copy of the full judgment delivered on July 12, 2017.

    “No one owns the party and those making unguarded and reckless statements in the public domain should realise that the solution to the problem of Nigeria is beyond any political association. Unacceptable and unjustifiable means cannot lead to a justifiable and acceptable end.”

    On the alleged congratulatory message to Makarfi and his group, Mikko described “the alleged congratulatory message credited to an imaginary Twitter handle of Sheriff” as a fraud.

    He said, “For the avoidance of doubt, Senator Sheriff does not have or own a Twitter account and could not have tweeted any message.

    “We, therefore, view the said message as fake and mischievous and should be regarded as that of evil doers.

    “We further warn all mischief-makers to desist from trying to exploit the huge political capital of Senator Sheriff for selfish gains.”

    In its reaction, the Makarfi-led committee said it would no longer allow Sheriff and his group to distract it, adding that it would henceforth devote its time to building the party.

    It also said its time would be spent constructively criticising the APC-led Federal Government.

    Adeyeye also said the PDP no longer had factions.

    He said, “I will no longer engage them. Supreme Court is the final arbiter and it has pronounced that there is no faction in the PDP.

    “We have done the right thing by offering our hands of fellowship to them. We won’t engage them any longer because we are now one.”

  • Pidgin News 14-07-2017 I TNGtv

  • I would have burnt my PDP card in court if Sheriff won – Fayose

    Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State on Friday said he would have burnt his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) membership card if the court had declared Ali Modu Sheriff chairman of the party.

    He said that he would have also destroyed the party’s flag in his possession.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Supreme Court on Wednesday sacked Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff who had hitherto held sway as the party’s chairman. The court reinstated Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic and recognised chairman.

    Fayose, who returned to the state on Friday after the Wednesday’s Supreme Court session, stated this while addressing PDP supporters in Ado-Ekiti.

    He said that he would have destroyed his membership card of the party and the flag right at the court premises if the verdict had been in favour of Sheriff.

    “I never imagined myself being in the same party with impostors,” he said.

    The governor, however, said that Sheriff and his followers had been forgiven but won’t go scot-free for causing the party members so much pain.

    “I went to court with a perfume which I wanted to use to spray my cards and party flags and set them ablaze even within the court premises if Sheriff had won; that was why I went to court.

    “Although I believe that we remain the same PDP family, no one can cause our party such pains and embarrassment and expect that he will go without being asked to account for his actions.

    “The `no victor, no vanquished’ that we said was a mere political slogan. Whoever that participated in this charade must show some reasonable level of remorse for his actions,” he said.

     

     

    NAN

  • PDP grants amnesty to Sheriff, others

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it would grant “amnesty” to members who participated in the crisis that slowed down the party.

    The Chairman of National Caretaker Committee of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, stated this in an interview with reporters in Abuja on yesterday.

    Makarfi was reacting to to a question on whether the party would sanction the sacked National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and his followers.

    He said there was no need to punish them, as the party is focused on getting back on its feet.

    Speaking through the spokesperson for the caretaker committee, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, Makarfi called on those with pending cases against the party at state levels, to withdraw them.

    He stated, “No, we won’t punish anyone for what had happened in the past. Our doors are open for everyone, including those who are not members of the PDP.

    “It is general amnesty for all. It is when you begin to commit fresh sins or causing fresh troubles that we will then look at it.

    “We want to appeal to everybody, those who have cases in courts, to withdraw them in the interest of the party. You can see that everybody is happy because of the outcome of the case.”

    In his reaction, Sheriff said he was not sure that Makarfi could be calling for amnesty for him and his group.

    Sheriff said, “He said that he was going to grant us amnesty? Are we criminals? No, he couldn’t have said that.

    “Let’s wait and see. If he said that, then you would hear from me tomorrow. We are not criminals and how can someone be talking of amnesty?”

  • S’Court judgement: We are not threatened, PDP remains a discredited party – APC

    Sequel to Wednesday’s Supreme Court affirming Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the the authentic chair of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has said it is not threatened as the PDP remains a discredited party before Nigerians who kicked them (PDP) out of power in 2015.

    This was revealed by National Vice-Chairman (North-East), of the party, Alhaji Mustapha Salihu at the national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The party chieftain said it didn’t matter who led the PDP, the party, as a platform, had lost credibility.

    Salihu added, “You assume that it is about Ali Modu Sheriff and Makarfi or anybody else? It is not so. The issue is this, what you look at is the party as an institution.

    “This is an institution that institutionalised corruption. This is an institution that destroyed our infrastructure. This is an institution that distroyed our security. We are not threatened by anybody that is left of that institution.”

    However, the Organising Secretary of the PDP in the South-West, Mr. Fasiu Bakene, described the judgment as a good foundation for democracy.

    Bakene stated, “The Supreme Court’s judgment today is a clear and solid foundation for the sustenance of democratic rule in Nigeria.

    “With this judgment, the Senator Ahmed Makarfi caretaker committee should immediately put the PDP in its rightful position of giving good governance to Nigerians irrespective of tribe, religion or political affiliation.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Supreme Court on Wednesday sacked Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff who had hitherto held sway as the party’s chairman. The court reinstated Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic and recognised chairman.

    It is however hoped that the judgement will put an end to the lingering leadership crisis that has rocked the party since 2015 when it lost control of the central government.

  • Just in: I’m in shock over S’Court ruling, says sacked PDP Chair, Modu Sheriff

    Sacked National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, on Thursday, said that he is still in shock over the judgment of the Supreme Court which removed him from office yesterday.

    Sheriff said he was still waiting for his lawyers to brief him on the details of the judgment.

    His reaction was made available to journalists in a statement signed by his the former Spokesperson for his faction, Mr. Bernard Mikko, in Abuja on Thursday.

    Mikko, who signed the statement said Nigerians should continue to pray for the country.

    The three-paragraph statement said, “We received with shock the 12th July judgement of the Supreme Court on the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party.

    “Though we still await the full written judgement of the highest court from our lawyers who will fully brief us on the details of the judgement. In the interim, we ask all members and supporters to remain steadfast in prayers for Nigeria.

    “Meanwhile, we continue with our avowed demands that the party must be given back to the owners at the grassroots to always elect their party officials and those to contest elections for them at all levels. Internal democracy must be institutionalized in the party.”

    Sheriff was removed by a five-man panel of justices of the Supreme Court and installed the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee as the authentic leader of the former ruling party.

    His sacking ended the 18-month leadership crisis in the party.

  • PDP agrees it failed Nigerians, hopes to reclaim power in 2019

    PDP agrees it failed Nigerians, hopes to reclaim power in 2019

    Acknowledging it failed Nigerians in the past, the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP said the party is ready to seek forgiveness and move forward while laying emphasis that PDP will regain power in the country in 2019.

    “The enemies are shivering already. Today is a turning point of things in Nigeria. We are moving forward. Where we have erred, we must tell Nigerians that we erred and seek their forgiveness. This is a collective victory.’’ Makarfi said.

    Makarfi stated this at a meeting he had with members of the party’s Senate caucus shortly after the Supreme Court verdict which affirmed his leadership of the party.

    The meeting was held at the private residence of the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, in Abuja.

    Fayose is the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum.

    Makarfi said the party would not repeat the mistakes of the past, adding that history must not be allowed to repeat itself.

    He urged the leadership of the party to work together and also ensure that nobody “is allowed to hold the party to ransom again.”

    He said the All Progressives Congress made a blunder in Osun State, adding that this was the reason why the ruling party in the state lost the Osun-West senatorial election to the PDP.

    He said, “Work, we must work together. We must also learn to accommodate. But that should not be to the detriment of the people who fought for the party.

    “Just as we take Osun West, we will take Nigeria in style by 2019.

    “We would be coming with a programme that would be realistic and will not be against any constitution of the party, electoral act or any law whatsoever.

    Makarfi told the senators and others present at the meeting that the party’s leadership would meet on Tuesday with the party’s Board of Trustees.

    He said it was after the meeting that decisions would be taken on when the party would have its National Executive Committee meeting.

    The former governor of Kaduna State added, “All the caucuses are meeting soon, I think on Tuesday or so. We must be tactical, we must be careful and we must know that the enemies are also watching.

    “The enemies are shivering already. Today is a turning point of things in Nigeria. We are moving forward. Where we have erred, we must tell Nigerians that we erred and seek their forgiveness. This is a collective victory.’’

    Fayose, however, said, “The wall of Jericho has fallen. We must come together to get power in 2019.”

    He declared that the Supreme Court judgment had placed the party on good stead to return to power in 2019.

    He assured the Makarfi-led leadership of the full cooperation of the governors, adding that, “where we need to speak we will speak, where we need to spend money, we will spend”.

     

  • BREAKING: Wild jubilation as Supreme Court declares Makarfi as authentic PDP Chairman

    BREAKING: Wild jubilation as Supreme Court declares Makarfi as authentic PDP Chairman

    Supporters of the PDP in Abuja and across the nation have erupted in jubilation as the 5 man panel of Supreme Court justices declared Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

    ‎The ruling was decided by a five-man panel of the apex court led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, in the appeal which was filed by the Makarfi faction.

    As if they had an inkling of the judgment possibly favouring their faction, some of the party’s big wigs throng the court, but mostly those loyal to the Makarfi faction.

    Among those on the Makarfi’s side, who were already seated at the Supreme Court, when the ruling was given, included Governors of Ekiti and Rivers states, Ayodele Fayose and Nyesom Wike,‎ a former Vice-Chairman of the party (South West), Chief Bode George, and the present occupant of the position in the faction, Chief Eddy Olafeso.

    Also in court was a former National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, a former Governor of Kano State and former Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau,

    Others include, Ben Obi, founder of African Independent Television, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Dayo Adeyeye, a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, and Tom Ikimi.

    As the news of the ruling was announced, the entire body of supporters of Alhaji Makarfi were besides themselves as the erupted into a spontaneous jubilation.

    Reports from across the country indicate that in all the states where the PDP has strong following, there is an on going jubilation by members of the party.

  • PDP crisis: Panic in Makarfi, Sheriff’s camps as S’Court delivers judgement today

    There is palpable tension in the camps of the two faction (Makarfi and Sheriff) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as they await the judgement of the Supreme Court over its lingering leadership crisis today (Wednesday) in Abuja.

    While the camp of the National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, said it was expecting the apex court to deliver what it called justice, the camp of the National Caretaker Committee of the party, headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, said it would not speak on what might be the outcome of the case.

    Rather, it said it would wait for the judgment to be delivered before making its position known.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the apex court’s five-man bench, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, had, on Monday, May 23, adjourned for judgment after the adoption of addresses by both parties.

    Justice Onnoghen, who reserved judgment after the hearing, is leading the five-man panel hearing the case.

    Other justices on the panel are Justices Tanko Muhammad, Bode Rhodes-Vivour, Kayode Ariwoola and Dattijo Muhammad.

    The Acting National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Bernard Mikko, who spoke on behalf of Sheriff, told our correspondent that the crisis rocking the party would be expected to come to an end after the judgment.

    Mikko stated, “We are all eagerly waiting for the outcome of the case. We have been informed and told that the judgment will be delivered on Wednesday (today).

    “We are expecting judgment and we are expecting justice to be done.

    “It is good that the judgment will come early and allow the party to sit up and begin to work together as a true opposition political party ahead of 2019.

    “It is also noteworthy that the majority of the combatants, including the likes of Governors Ayodele Fayose and Nyesom Wike of Ekiti and Rivers states respectively, have said they will not leave the party no matter the outcome of the case.

    “In our own case, we remain members of the party irrespective of the outcome of the case. Whichever way it goes, it (the judgment) will strength our party and democracy.”

    Spokesperson for the Makarfi’s caretaker committee, Dayo Adeyeye, said he would not make any comment on the expected judgment.

    “I’m not going to speak on the expected judgment until after it must have been delivered,” he said.

    However, it was gathered that the party’s former ministers had asked members of the party to attend the court sitting in Abuja today.

    The former ministers, in a text message to some of the members of the party, which was leaked to the media, said, “Finally, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has today officially notified our great party, the PDP, of the date to deliver judgment on the suit PDP vs. Sheriff and four others.

    “Our teeming supporters and members, who are willing to attend, are hereby encouraged to do so in solidarity with the PDP. God bless the PDP! God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Makarfi faction, which has the support of the majority of the stakeholders and caucuses of the party, won the first case at the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    Sheriff and his team, who were dissatisfied with the outcome of the judgment, approached the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt for a review of the High Court judgment.

    The former governor of Borno State won at the appeal court, but Makarfi and his team challenged the judgment at the apex court.

    The Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday (today) will however put an end to the lingering leadership crisis that has rocked the party since 2015 when it lost control of the central government.

  • Osun West: INEC has revived our hope in electoral system – Ekweremadu

    The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has congratulated the winner of the Osun West Senatorial District bye-election, Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on his victory, describing the poll as “a glimmer of hope for the nation’s electoral system.”

    Reacting to the outcome of the election, Ekweremadu said, it was not only victory for the PDP, but also more importantly, a victory for the nation’s democracy.

    He said: “I congratulate the Senator-elect, Ademola Adeleke, and our party faithful in Osun State in particular on this symbolic victory.

    “For our party, it shows that working together as one big family, we can always show strength, achieve great results, and surmount every obstacle in rebuilding the fortunes of our party and restoring good governance to the country.

    “It also appears the Independent National Electoral Commission is beginning to get it right in reviving hope and confidence of the people in the potency and sanctity of the ballot box. We will tread the path of cautious optimism, watching and believing that sanity is beginning to return to the electoral system, once again”.

    Ekweremadu commended the people of Osun West for their vigilance and peaceful conducts during the election, saying they not only voted, but also ensured that their votes counted in a peaceful atmosphere.

    He expressed confidence that the Senator-elect would provide robust and quality representation as his late brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, had done in the past.