…says ‘I won’t resign’ - BoT: He’s not suitable to be National Chairman
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has told party leaders, including Board of Trustees (BoT) and former ministers calling for his resignation, to perish the thought. Sheriff, who emerged as PDP National Chairman last Tuesday, said he would not succumb to pressure of those demanding his resignation.
But the party’s BoT yesterday maintained its stand against the adoption of Sheriff as the party’s National Chairman, saying that he is unsuitable to lead the party. The former governor has been under pressure by stakeholders of the party to quit because of his alleged link with the Boko Haram sect.
PDP Rescue Group, which has some founding fathers of the party as members, on Sunday, told Sheriff to resign because he lacks moral character to lead PDP this time. Past ministers of the party, who served in the administrations of Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007), the late Umaru Yar’Adua (2007-2010) and Goodluck Jonathan (2010-2015) have scheduled a meeting for today in Abuja to deliberate on Sheriff’s emergence.
The meeting is expected to come out strong against Sheriff’s choice by the PDP. But at his first media interaction on Monday, Sheriff told those asking him to resign to forget the idea. The former governor said he has been given a task by party leaders, which he has to accomplish. “I will not resign.
The leadership of this party asked me to lead this party. I will reposition the party, I will lead the party to congresses and national convention within the time allowed by the party,” he declared. He, however, said he does not know when his tenure would end.
Sheriff is supposed to serve out Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu’s tenure, which ends in March. Also, PDP Governors’ Forum, in a statement by its Coordinator, Osaro Onaiwu, said the National Chairman “is to complete the tenure of the North-East as specified by the party’s constitution and organise a national convention for the election of substantive officers.” The National Chairman, however, said his mandate was to rebuild the PDP and reposition it for future elections.
According to him, those asking him to resign have no moral rectitude to do so because some of them contested the chairmanship position against him. “I saw the person who was reading the press conference, Ambassador Wilberforce Juta. He submitted himself to the National Working Committee (NWC) of this party, aspiring to be a chairman. (Mohammed) Wakil that you saw on the television also submitted himself to the NWC to be appointed chairman. And votes had been cast.
“The man that was reading the press conference got one vote and he is asking me to resign. Therefore, I will not resign. “The leadership of this party, in their wisdom, asked me to lead. If the National Executive Committee (NEC) of this party collectively asks me to leave, I will leave.
But not somebody who contested an election and got one vote. I think if there is morality, he should not even go to the television. “In this country, people are allowed to say what they want. You want something, you got into the party, and the party has submitted your name. In the midst of everybody, you got one vote and you go outside and asked the chairman to resign. My brother, where is the credibility? Where is the justice? “I would have listened to him better if he did not aspire to be the chairman.
Therefore, I did not plan to resign, I will not resign. I will reposition this party and take it to election within a time frame decided by the leaders of this party to conduct a credible, effective congress that will stand the test of time,” he stated. Sheriff said his tenure has not yet been defined by NEC. ”
What time we need to do this job will be determined by the leaders and owners of the party when they sit down collectively to discuss. “For me taking over office today, I cannot tell you when I am leaving. I will only tell you when the party leaders sit down and see what is the immediate time to do this job. If they decide, I am ready for it,” he added. Sheriff, who officially took over from the former Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, also defended himself against his alleged association with the Boko Haram sect.
He said he neither sponsored nor was part of Boko Haram sect, adding that before he would not like to discuss the issue on the pages of newspapers, but now he has been forced to talk. According to him, people have been charged to court for alleged involvement with the sect, whereas no court has ever linked him with the Boko Haram.
“People like Femi Fani- Kayode will not be allowed to cause trouble in this country, and he will not go scot-free,” he said without stating whether he was going to seek redress in court against the former Minister of Aviation who has of recent accused him of sponsoring Boko Haram.
Sheriff said his lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), wrote to Australian Ambassador in Nigeria concerning Steven Davis who first made the allegation against him only to discover that Davis has no fixed address. The National Chairman said he was the first victim of Boko Haram attack, which he said killed his blood brother and his choice successor. ”
They want to kill me because I refused them to Islamise Nigeria. How can I sponsor the people who wanted to kill me? Boko Haram are criminals. When the fight finishes, the real sponsors of Boko Haram will be known,” he stated. Sheriff commended the PDP NWC for holding forth since Mu’azu resigned last year and said collectively they would lead the party.
He promised to carry members of the party along and pleaded with anybody who felt not adequately consulted to forgive the error. Meanwhile, PDP BoT, which met yesterday, said Sheriff is not suitable to lead the party. Acting Chairman of the board, Senator Jubrin Walid, who briefed the media after the meeting, said the board as a conscience of the party, will not accept Sheriff as PDP National Chairman. “The Board of Trustees, as conscience of the party, was of the view that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is not suitable to be the National Chairman of the party for now.
“We have proposed viable solution for the way forward,” he said. He, however, refused to entertain any question, but said the meeting was well attended. It was gathered that the BoT is of the view that Sheriff did not stay the minimum constitutional requirement to qualify him to contest elective position in PDP.
Sheriff had earlier said he was granted a waiver, which enabled him qualify to contest the senatorial election in Borno State in 2015. The document was signed by the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo. Those in attendance were Professor Jerry Gana, Senator Stella Onu, Adamu Waziri, Josephine Anenih, Adolphus Wabara, among others. A member of BoT, Ambassador Ojo Maduekwe, said he was not going to leave the party.
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