Victory As Jonathan, Babangida Endorse Sheriff

Amodu Sheriff

The Leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has taken a new dimension, following a meeting held between former President, Goodluck Jonathan, and Members of the Board of Trustees, BoT, of the Party.

Reports indicate that the BoT members were shocked by the outcome of their recent meeting with Jonathan and a former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida.

Post-Nigeria gathered, that selected representatives of the board, from the six geo-political zones, led by their Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, met with Jonathan to appeal for his intervention in the PDP leadership crisis.

The meeting, which was held at Jonathan’s Abuja residence, at highbrow Mataima district, lasted for about one and a half hour.

A source at the meeting, disclosed that the BoT members got more than what they bargained for, as most of the board members had pledged their support to the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee, which they said was a product of the May 21 Port Harcourt National Convention.

However, a source at the meeting, disclosed that Jonathan directed the BoT members to make peace with the Ali Modu Sheriff faction, for a quick resolution of the crisis.

According to the source, the former President told the BoT members, that given the evidences available, Sheriff, has the upper hand than the Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee, and might continue to rubbish the PDP, if urgent steps were not taken to reconcile with him.

It was further gathered, that Jonathan met with Sheriff a day before the BoT meeting, at his Abuja residence, and the meeting lasted for three hours.

It was learnt that what Jonathan told the BoT members, was the same message the party Leaders got from former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, who was also approached to broker a truce with Sheriff.

Makarfi, was present at the meeting, which held few days back at Babangida’s Hilltop residence in Minna, Niger State.

The former Head of State, reportedly told the PDP delegation that despite the superiority at the courts, political solution still remains the best option. He directed them to go and reconcile with Sheriff.

Sheriff is enjoying the support of Senator Buruji Kashamu and Multi-Billionaire Businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim, who has been nursing his governorship ambition in Ondo State.

Ibrahim, had last Thursday, picked the governorship form from Sheriff.

With the advice of Jonathan and Babangida, it is most probable that machinery would be put in motion by party stakeholders to interface with Sheriff, with a view to resolving the crisis.

The former Head of State had told the BoT members, that he had been receiving regular briefings on the state of affairs of the party, since he left office.

“Unfortunately, we have been challenged, but I don’t think you should be discouraged. Challenges are part of life; even in families, there are challenges.

“There are challenges even in the church, more than what may be happening at the political level.

“So you should not be discouraged, and I believe, collectively, we can solve it.

“This should not be beyond us, but I believe collectively, we can resolve it.

“Any sincere PDP member should know that the PDP is bigger than an individual. And many members have sacrificed their interests for the party,” he observed.