Ali Modu Sheriff and the One Sided Volt-Face of the PDP —By Eugene Upah

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Eugene Upah|22 February 2017

The People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) lost at the center in the 2015 general elections when then President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari. It is said that the downfall of a man is not the end of his life, but in the case of the PDP, it appears there is no end in sight to its downfall following series of post-election calamities.

The unending rift between the two factions of the PDP led by Senator Ahmed Markarfi and Senator Ali Sherrif is in no way beneficial to a party that is struggling to gain relevance at this time. The situation is even more heartbreaking considering the fact that both factions have refrained from embracing peace or dialogue, but instead have sworn not to sheathe swords. It is difficult to believe that a party that was then labeled “the hulk of Africa” is at the level it is today. This is happening in a time when the PDP should be re-aligning to take advantage of the very poor leadership vested on Nigerians by the failed All Progressives Congress.

Senator Ali Sherriff has been severally accused of being sponsored by the opposition All Progressives Congress to stir crisis and ensure the PDP never gets to bounce back; and recent activities leaves one to wonder if these allegation(s) are real. Ooh, no wonder the APC was quick to congratulate him upon victory at the appeal court. Could this be why there is no end to the calamities befalling the PDP since he decamped from the opposition APC? Could it be the reason why the Police barred the Ahmed Markarfi led group from holding conference in Abuja?

It’s obvious the people do not want Ali Modu Sherrif to pilot the affairs of the party. He has been rejected by the Governors, Senators, Parliamentarians, Congressmen and women, Youth Leaders, and even children. The very few Governors endorsing him are either the ones not holding the party at heart or the ones with very little or no contribution to the party at all. Ali Sherrif must go. He is not in the interest of the PDP. He has displayed that often times with his comments. Ali Sherrif go and get back your money from Chief Uche Secondus, Barmanga Tukur and others whom you paid to impose you on the PDP. If Governors Nyesome Wike, Ayodele Fayose and Emmanuel Udom, to mention but a few have rejected you there is no way you can become the party Chairman. These are the people who have been championing the cause of the party in the face of a very stiff opposition, not the very few endorsing you. It is not realistic.

If the Supreme Court upholds Sherriff’s victory, there would be no option than the PDP disintegrating and metamorphosing into another party altogether like the process which led to the now All Progressives Congress. This is not the time to go all over to the beginning. It is a time to consolidate, a time to restructure, and a time to reform the troubled party.

Eugene Upah
Is a social commentator