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Dahiru Hassan Kera was chairman, media and
publicity committee for Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo’s campaign
organisation for the 2015 general elections. He fielded questions on the
emergence of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as PDP national chairman.
Suleiman U. Abdullahi was there for LEADERSHIP Weekend
Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are not quite happy with the recent appointment of Ali Modu Sheriff as the new chairman of the party, what is your reaction to that?
Let me categorically and without mincing words, say my reaction would not be different from that of the good and the larger family of the Peoples Democratic Party that had overwhelmingly welcomed the development. The emergence of the former Borno State governor Sheriff as party chairman is a new dawn for the PDP and a step towards regaining power in 2019. Those that criticized his emergence are entitled to their opinion, but most of them are doing so for selfish reasons. To me, they are agents of retrogression and destruction of the PDP that built and raised them.
Are you saying those that condem his emergence are not true members of the PDP?
You see, whether we like it or not, the PDP made them what they are today and coming out to challenge the party’s position is outright betrayal. Dr. Tafida who said the PDP was finished was transformed from a physician to a Senator representing Kaduna North in 1999 under the PDP government. He was re-elected in 2003, contested for governorship primary election but lost to Sen. Makarfi in 2007. He was later appointed Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK by the Obasanjo regime and served for seven consecutive years in that position before he resigned in 2015.
He had enjoyed all of these privileges under the PDP government that he is now proclaiming as a dead party. Also with the case of Femi Fani-Kayode, Doyin Okupe too was a PDP beneficiary in many ways; he was a spokesperson to Obasanjo, governorship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party in Ogun and a senior special assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan. Therefore, you can not destroy the house that gave you shelter, or burn the finger that fed you.
Furthermore, if you remove the PDP from the APC what would you have as a party? Amaechi, Fashola, el-Rufai, Saraki, Kwankwaso, Wamakko, Goje, Tambuwal, Masari, Dogara —virtually all the senators, reps members, governors, ministers and what have you, were PDP members that defected to the APC before the last year general elections and these are the people ridiculing the PDP as a failed party and its 16 years of governance as a waste.
There is this allegation that Modu Sherif is a Boko Haram sponsor?
Well, you just said it is an allegation, and that is what it is, but has anyone been able to prove the allegation? When he joined Buhari in the APC why didn’t they say he was sponsoring Boko Haram and why did the APC warmly accepted him? Because he is now in PDP and has emerged as its chairman, people have started bringing all sorts of accusations. You see, people are ignorant of the legal implications of what they are saying, especially on the issues that have to do with someone’s character, image, and reputation.
Most of the statements would amount to defamation of character which can attract severe punishment in the court of law, and until people start to be prosecuted for such offences, this sort of thing can not stop.
Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are not quite happy with the recent appointment of Ali Modu Sheriff as the new chairman of the party, what is your reaction to that?
Let me categorically and without mincing words, say my reaction would not be different from that of the good and the larger family of the Peoples Democratic Party that had overwhelmingly welcomed the development. The emergence of the former Borno State governor Sheriff as party chairman is a new dawn for the PDP and a step towards regaining power in 2019. Those that criticized his emergence are entitled to their opinion, but most of them are doing so for selfish reasons. To me, they are agents of retrogression and destruction of the PDP that built and raised them.
Are you saying those that condem his emergence are not true members of the PDP?
You see, whether we like it or not, the PDP made them what they are today and coming out to challenge the party’s position is outright betrayal. Dr. Tafida who said the PDP was finished was transformed from a physician to a Senator representing Kaduna North in 1999 under the PDP government. He was re-elected in 2003, contested for governorship primary election but lost to Sen. Makarfi in 2007. He was later appointed Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK by the Obasanjo regime and served for seven consecutive years in that position before he resigned in 2015.
He had enjoyed all of these privileges under the PDP government that he is now proclaiming as a dead party. Also with the case of Femi Fani-Kayode, Doyin Okupe too was a PDP beneficiary in many ways; he was a spokesperson to Obasanjo, governorship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party in Ogun and a senior special assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan. Therefore, you can not destroy the house that gave you shelter, or burn the finger that fed you.
Furthermore, if you remove the PDP from the APC what would you have as a party? Amaechi, Fashola, el-Rufai, Saraki, Kwankwaso, Wamakko, Goje, Tambuwal, Masari, Dogara —virtually all the senators, reps members, governors, ministers and what have you, were PDP members that defected to the APC before the last year general elections and these are the people ridiculing the PDP as a failed party and its 16 years of governance as a waste.
There is this allegation that Modu Sherif is a Boko Haram sponsor?
Well, you just said it is an allegation, and that is what it is, but has anyone been able to prove the allegation? When he joined Buhari in the APC why didn’t they say he was sponsoring Boko Haram and why did the APC warmly accepted him? Because he is now in PDP and has emerged as its chairman, people have started bringing all sorts of accusations. You see, people are ignorant of the legal implications of what they are saying, especially on the issues that have to do with someone’s character, image, and reputation.
Most of the statements would amount to defamation of character which can attract severe punishment in the court of law, and until people start to be prosecuted for such offences, this sort of thing can not stop.
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