Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has said that it was wrong for Governor Ayodele Fayose to have rejected him as the leader of the party on behalf of other governors.
Sheriff spoke with journalists in Abuja on Saturday on the Court of Appeal judgement in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, which was in his favour.
The court ruled that the decisions taken at the May 21, 2015 Port Harcourt National Convention of the party was null and void.
Sheriff had earlier declared the convention postponed before the governors and some leaders of the party insisted that the convention must hold.
The former governor of Borno State had hinged his decision on several court decisions, asking the party not to go ahead with the planned convention.
However, after the court ruling, Fayose had addressed a press conference on Friday in Abuja, where he said Sheriff would not lead the party.
Fayose, who is the governor of Ekiti State, spoke in his capacity as the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum.
He said the faction of the party being led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi would appeal the judgement.
His position was backed by that of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party, Senator Walid Jibrin, who also appealed to loyal members of the PDP not to defect to other political parties because of the unfavourable ruling.
However, Sheriff said it was wrong to assume that Fayose spoke the mind of other governors, saying that no other governor was at the briefing.
Sheriff had earlier said he had spoken with some of the governors on the outcome of the case, including the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, who is the chairman of the party’s reconciliation committee.
He, therefore, said that the view expressed by Fayose at the briefing did not represent the position of the other governors of the troubled party.
He said, “How many governor addressed you? In my statement, I said that I have spoken with many governors (So,) if one come and talk his opinion, I have no issue to join with anybody.
“I don’t have issue to join with anybody but i know I am talking to governors and I know their opinion.”
When our correspondent sought the response of the governor to Sheriff’s observation, he declined comment.
“No comment,” he said in a text message.
Sheriff however denied some comments which he said were being attributed to him in the social media, saying that he had never spoken with anyone since the judgment was delivered.
He said apart from calling governors, leadership of the party and other stakeholders, on the need to move the party forward, he said he did not make any comment on Fayose and the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike.
He said every member of the party must join him to move the party forward now, adding that the judgment was neither in his favour nor against Makarfi.
Sheriff said, “The judgement of the Port Harcourt Court of Appeal on Friday, does not call for merriment or mourning. In my candid view, there was no victor and no vanquished.
“I see the judgement as a golden opportunity for a sincere renewal of our sense of unity and fraternity. No doubt, we have come a long and tortuous road, wherein some of us have been bruised or outrightly wounded and are hurt. I understand also, that for some of us, our ego has been agitated.
“Yet, I dare say that we can put all of that behind us and come together with one accord and move our great party, the Peoples‘ Democratic Party forward.
“Let me use this auspicious opportunity to assure all our party faithful, both the mighty and the weak, the young and old, that on my part I am ready and willing to work in any capacity that that can bring lasting peace to our party.
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