The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, against extending his tenure beyond May 21.
Acting BOT Chairman Senator Walid Jibrin, who issued the warning at a media briefing in Abuja yesterday, said such moves by Sheriff would lead to anarchy and trouble for the party.
Principal organs of the party, including governors, in February, gave Sheriff a three-month tenure, which is expected to end with the party’s national convention tentatively fixed for May 21.
However, some interest groups have been drumming up support for extension for Sheriff beyond May 21.
But Jibrin enjoined Sheriff to ignore those he described as sycophants and praise singers and to vacate the seat after the party’s national convention.
The BoT chair also warned against subversion of the zoning arrangement, proposed by the Ike Ekweremadu’s Post-Election Review Committee, which zoned the party’s 2019 presidential ticket to the North.
Jibrin said: “I want to advice Senator Ali Modu Sherif on the consequences of the evil machinations of praise singers and prophets of doom on the approval of the PDP Governors’ Forum, National Causes, BOT and the NEC terminating his tenure and that of the NWC on May 21, 2016.
“The above responsible bodies have approved that the tenure of national officers will end after the convention.
“The NWC received an overwhelming ovation and admiration at the meeting of the national caucus, BOT and NEC by overlooking their 2017 tenure in support of the three months approval of the respected organs of the party which should strictly be complied with.
“Instead of listening to praise singers, Modu Sherif should follow the path of honour and integrity by simply taking a bow in May 2016 after the national convention.
“The recent courtesy calls to the National Chairman and the presentations being made, especially calling on him to continue beyond the stipulated three months tenure is an invitation to trouble, anarchy and the return of impunity in PDP.
“May I also strongly warn on the dangers of not adhering to the recommendations of Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s Post Election Review Committee (2015) that the party should seek its 2019 presidential candidate from the North of Nigeria to compensate for the obvious violation of the zoning arrangement in the 2011 election which led to a major apathy against the party in the north from 2011, culminating in the poor performance of the party in the 2015 elections.
“The National Caucus, BOT, and NEC have already approved this recommendation by unanimously zoning 2019 presidency to the North. To change this decision now is a further invitation to impunity, lack of party democracy, non adherence to party zoning principles, influence of godfatherism, lack of respect for the decision of constituted party organs, self-imposition, and killing the PDP.
“Anyone who tries to reverse this position by changing it with another position will ever remain an enemy to the North, a mercenary and killer of PDP”.
Jibrin maintained that the BoT would resist any move by anybody to destroy the party, insisting that Sheriff should come out with a clear position on the matter to exonerate himself from such plot.
But in a swift reaction, said he was not contemplating staying beyond the three-month tenure given him by the party. He spoke through his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Inuwa Bwala.
Bwala said, “The PDP National Chairman has consistently stated that he would not spend one day beyond the time he had to serve the party.
“He has a job to do and he is focused on doing it. His job is to reposition the party and set it on the track of glory”. (The Nation)
