Sheriff Accuses Makarfi of Wooing Aggrieved APC Members for New Party

Sheriff Accuses Makarfi of Wooing Aggrieved APC Members for New Party

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to have intensified as factional leader, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff on Wednesday accused the Senator Ahmed Makarfi group of wooing aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with the purpose of forming a new political party.

Accusing the Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of plotting to weaken the party before jumping ship, a member of the National Working Committee of the party under Sheriff questioned the decision to set up what he described as “inter-party committee” instead of “intra-party” committee in resolving the raging crisis.

“They (members of the Makarfi group) have been meeting clandestinely with some disgruntled members of the APC with a view to forming a new party ahead of 2019,” the source who spoke on condition of anonymity told Punch.

“They are looking for people of questionable character and all those who are not happy with President Muhammadu Buhari in the APC are their target.

“How do you set up an inter-party committee when the problem is with us, the PDP alone?

“Why would they be scouting for people who have corruption cases against them, and those who are being tried for one criminal case or the other?

There are reports the Sheriff faction was on the verge of setting up a rival committee on how to rejuvenate the troubled party.

This was confirmed by the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the Sheriff faction, Mr. Bernard Mikko, who said the committee members would be unveiled soon.

“Recall that the party was in dire need of reorganisation and rejuvenation due to the blatant impunity that led to our defeat at the 2015 presidential election, and the subsequent leadership crisis that has threatened the unity and cohesion of the party,” he said.

“The PDP, under the leadership of Sheriff, will reposition the party and appeals to all stakeholders not to succumb to the antics of the nomadic forces behind the leadership crisis.”

Meanwhile, the Makarfi group defended their stand, claiming that the inter-party committee was free to discuss with anyone within the PDP and outside the party.

Spokesperson for the party, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, claimed Wednesday that more than 75 per cent of APC senators wanted to return to the PDP.

“More than three quarter of the senators are already discussing the possibility of being in our party and form an alliance with us,” he said.

“You know how the APC came into being. We are already discussing with them and individually, the senators and other are already discussing the possibility of forming an alliance with us.

“We want to regain power democratically in 2019. We are doing everything possible to get it,” the former Minister of State for Works added.