Mantu, Makarfi Emerge Interim PDP National Chairmen At Parallel Conventions In Abuja, Port Harcourt

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Sunday, May 22nd, 2016

…Former Acting Chairman, Modu Sheriff Cajoled

By Seun Adebosin/Ganiyu Nasirudeen
BAILTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is now one house divided within itself, as factions within it, seem not to be compliant with one another and two parallel National conventions held Saturday in Abuja and Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The controversial former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff, who until Saturady was the acting National Chairman of the party and who ought to lead the Port Harcourt Convention appeared to be cajoled, as he was made to announce the cancellation of the delegate Convention.

This happened after the crucial meeting of the Governors elected under the platform of the PDP. The announcement was also at the instance of the court case which barred the opposition from electing the National Chairman and Scribe of the party.

However, in a dramatic twist, the Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, minutes after Sheriff’s declaration, and his boss exit from the Sharks Stadium venue of the meeting, announced the formal commencement of the factional National Convention.

In the end and in what appeared a coup against Sheriff, former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi was declared the interim PDP National Chairman. He is to serve for three months in that capacity.
The factional non elective delegate National Convention in Port Harcourt followed similar pattern with the Abuja faction which held earlier the same day.
Amid the goodwill messages by the party leaders who described Abuja Convention as the faction of real PDP leaders; “the Restorers and Reformers”, former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu and one time Education Minister, Professor Tunde Adeniran were announced the interim National Chairman and Deputy respectively of the party.

The Convention announced that the meeting was non-elective in view of the pending court ruling. The faction stressed that it would be absurd if it was against impunity, yet replicating same within it.

Speakers at the Abuja Convention described former Sheriff-led PDP faction as rebel and parade members reputed with “impunity”.

They argued such people must not be allowed to be in charge of the party’s affairs, most especially at the time the former ruling party is in opposition after losing last Presidential election and needed to re-strategize for 2019 general polls.

While the Abuja Convention was attended by the likes of Professor Jerry Gana, Dr. Doyin Okupe and Professor Femi Kila among many others, the Garden city National meeting was graced by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and the just elected PDP Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT), Professor Walid Jibril as well as PDP Governors.