Following the recent Supreme Court ruling, recognizing the Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee as the authentic leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, the party's national caucus held a crucial meeting at the Party's National Secretariat to fashion out strategies of rebuilding the party as well as resolving lingering challenges confronting members.
The sacked national chairman of the party, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff and most members of his faction were absent at the meeting amidst speculation that the group may be planning to dump the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the former Deputy National Chairman of the Sheriff's faction, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh has debunked the defection rumor. Speaking at a meeting in Delta state, he stated that the PDP belonged to all members of the Party and not the new leadership. He added that the group was focusing more on resuscitating the party.
“Our interest all this while is to resuscitate the PDP. This has been Sheriff’s desire. So, we are not leaving the party. We are going to strengthen the party from states to ward levels and if the Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee can do it, we will be very happy to see that internal democracy is returned.
“If all party members are treated equally, we will all be very happy and work for the party. The most important thing is that the party is supreme and that’s what we recognise and it is our position. Basically, today’s meeting is a state caucus meeting which was convened to brief the state exco of what’s going on at the national level and we have asked them to go back and continue the membership drive.
“We have told them of the position of the party at the national level which is to pray and wait like the apostles waited for the Holy Spirit….We are not averse to the Supreme Court judgment. The court has spoken and the law has spoken but we want to have their reasons. Our prayer is that the party should begin to grow from strength to strength.”
The caucus meeting of the PDP was attended by the former president, Goodluck Jonathan, PDP State Governors, legislators, former governors; former ministers and former national Chairmen among others.
