Last week’s election of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the September 10, 2016 election in Edo State has further polarised the party.
The Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi factions are set for another round of clash over the issue.
The Sheriff faction on Saturday suspended the Edo State Executive Committee of the party “sequel to various petitions deriving from allegations of irregularities arising from the last state congresses that sought to elect State Executive Committee for the chapter.”
The Sheriff faction had also earlier nullified the Plateau State congress of the party and promised to set the machinery in motion for the emergence of a fresh executive committee for the state PDP.
In a statement by Sheriff and the factional National Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Wale Oladipo, in Abuja on Saturday, they said the suspension of the Edo State was part of the decision taken at the National Working Committee meeting they held on June 21, 2016.
They said the suspension would enable the NWC investigate the allegations contained in the petitions arising from the congresses and come out with a fair and just decision.
The statement also named an eight-member caretaker committee to run the affairs of the state chapter for a period of three months.
The members are: Chief Ebenezer Alabi (chairman); Barr. Zealiwe Edmund (secretary); Ehimekpen Okharedia, Melody Ekunne Osagie, Blessing Agbabaku, Negerese Berry, Hon. Daniel Ohiole Asekhame and Dan Omozokpai, as members.
But the Makarfi-led caretaker committee, in a swift reaction, kicked against the development.
It said in a statement by the spokesman of the faction, Prince Dayo Adeyeye: “Procedures for taking such far reaching decisions are prescribed in the constitution of the party, so it’s the organ so empowered to take it.
“It is no longer news that the Ali Modu Sheriff led National Working Committee and indeed all national officers were removed by the party’s convention, which is the highest decision making organ of the party.
“This purported suspension is clearly part of the desperation of Senator Sheriff and his paymasters to orchestrate confusion that would lead to the failure of the party in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo State; an election that the party is otherwise very well placed to win.
“The Caretaker Committee recognises and would continue to relate with the leadership of the party in Edo State that was validly elected at the recent congresses, even as it calls on the members and teeming supporters of the party in the state to remain steadfast and vigilant in the face of the mischief being perpetrated by Sheriff in order to destroy the party.
“The Caretaker Committee also appeals to the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services and indeed all security agencies to call Sheriff to order as well as keep more than an eye on him so that he doesn’t precipitate crisis in any part of the country for which he is well known, since we, as Nigerians already have enough on our hands to contend with.”
Also reacting to the development, the Chairman of the party in Edo State, Chief Dan Orbih, said Sheriff lacked the powers to suspend any state chapter.
Orbih said: “For us in Edo State PDP, we will ignore the ranting of Sheriff and face the business of defeating Adams Oshiomhole and his surrogate, that is, their APC candidate.”
Orbih said Sheriff’s action was a clear indication that he is not a true member of the PDP.
He added: “Let me quickly remind Sheriff that we, members of the National Executive, were the ones that appointed him as an acting chairman.
“He was never elected as chairman of the party and he should atop arrogating powers that he doesn’t possess to himself.
“The only body that is constitutionally empowered by the party to carry out the functions of the national executives of the party today is that of the Makarfi-led national executive, which by law is the national executives in place.
“At the time we appointed Sheriff to act as the national chairman, we gave him a mandate that should last for three months and at the end of the three months, we never renewed his mandate.
“I advise him to stay clear of Edo PDP and face his political integration in Borno where since he left office as governor has been a hotbed of political crisis.”
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