MODU SHERIFF: EX MINISTERS REGROUP TO SAVE PDP
Sources close to the party confirmed to the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday that the meeting would be used to review the fate of the PDP, in the wake of the emergence of former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, as the party’s national chairman.
There had been rumbling within the ranks of the PDP since Senator Modu Sheriff emerged national chairman last week.
A number of the former ministers had objected to his appointment, just like some serving senators and members of the House of Representatives, who had also threatened to quit the party.
Sources in Abuja, however, confirmed that the former ministers, under the Former Ministers’ Forum, had resolved to hold a strategic meeting during which they would make available “a strong position” on the way forward.
The forum, being led by former Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, is expected to hold the meeting to dissect the way forward tomorrow.
A statement from the forum, signed by former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who heads its committee on strategy, indicated that the meeting was open to all former ministers who are still members of the PDP.
“The PDP Ministers Forum, under the able leadership of Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, former Minister of Special Duties, will meet at 11.00 a.m. on Tuesday at Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, to deliberate on how to move our great party forward, in view of recent developments.
“Contrary to some media reports, membership of the PDP Ministers Forum is not restricted to only ministers that served between 2011 and 2015 and the meeting that will hold on Tuesday is not just for the ministers that served under President Goodluck Jonathan alone.
“The meeting is for all PDP ministers that are still in the party and served between 1999 and 2015. If you are in that category of people, then you are more than welcome to attend the meeting and we would be delighted to see you.
“This is especially so because crucial decisions which will undoubtedly affect and shape the future of our great party will be taken at the said meeting,” the statement read.
Sources in the PDP also confirmed that the party would have immediately gone under on the announcement of Senator Modu Sheriff as national chairman but for the efforts of former president, Dr Jonathan and the Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, who were said to have embarked on what a source called “shuttle diplomacy.”
It was gathered that whereas Jonathan did not endorse the candidature of Modu Sheriff, he had to embark on the series of consultations with different segments of the party in order to save it from destruction.
A source said contrary to claims in some quarters, former President Jonathan only got a call from Senator Modu Sheriff, who was said to have called him severally and when Jonathan eventually picked the call, Sheriff was said to have told him he had just emerged the national chairman of the PDP, to which a source said Jonathan only replied: “Congratulations.”
“It is not true that Jonathan backed the emergence of Sheriff. In fact, former Minister of State for Power, Mohammed Wakil, was dropped from the race because of his perceived closeness to the former president. The governors just simply pushed the candidature of Sheriff,” a source in the know said.
Another source said some PDP governors from the North strongly canvassed the candidature of Sheriff, adding that voices in support of the former Borno State governor dwarfed the voices of dissent at the meeting of the governors.
It was further gathered that despite his initial objections, Governor Mimiko had to back the candidature in order to ensure the party remains intact.
Sources confirmed that Mimiko’s shuttle diplomacy since Sheriff’s emergence had been hinged on the need to maintain cohesion in the party.
“The Ondo State governor actually objected to the choice of Sheriff. But his brother governors canvassed the man strongly and at the end of the day, those who were in support of his candidature were more in number.
“As the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, he is bound by majority decision. From that point, he has started canvassing unity and preaching to members in the National Assembly to rescind their decision to quit the PDP,” another source said.
Sources also told the Nigerian Tribune that a former Nigerian leader, who was shocked at the emergence of Sheriff as national chairman of the PDP, also made frantic calls to strategic stakeholders of the party and asked them to act fast.
The former leader was quoted as saying that though he had quit partisan politics, he was of the view that democracy could not survive without a strong opposition.
He was also said to have charged PDP stakeholders to quickly organise themselves into a strong opposition.
Sources confirmed that apart from the chairman of the PDP Ministers’ Forum, others expected to speak at the inaugural meeting of the body included Mr John Odey, Professor Jerry Gana; Mr Keneth Gbagi and Chief Ojo Maduekwe, among others.
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