The Bayelsa State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) Reconciliation Committee, Seriake Dickson, on Saturday
called on key actors in the party to sheathe their swords and embrace
peace to move PDP forward.
According to him, it would be unhealthy for both Ahmed Markafi and
Modu Sheriff to be trading words at this critical period when all
hands should be on deck to resolve the lingering crisis that has
robbed the party of its leadership status.
In an interview with journalists in Abuja, Mr. Dickson said the report
of the committee submitted to the national chairman of PDP, Mr.
Sheriff was to unify, strengthen and reposition the party, contrary to
misconception.
He said the PDP, having lost its leadership status to the ruling All
Progressives Congress, (APC) should be a formidable opposition party
but regretted that the reverse had been the case as a result of
internal crisis.
“Dialogue, consultation and meetings formed part of the
recommendations of the committee as they remain panacea to the
lingering crisis. I am therefore calling on the leadership of the
party to put aside their personal interests and work for the interest
of PDP. In order to salvage the situation, there is need for
consultation and dialogue; that is part of the recommendation of the
committee”, Mr. Dickson said.
He said the committee, having examined the ongoing crisis in the
party, decided to present a template that is engaging the tools of
politics being misconstrued by Mr. Markafi and some of his followers.
The governor added that politics was all about dialogue, engagement
and meetings, saying this is the only way to get out of the present
imbroglio and reshape the party ahead of subsequent elections.
He added that without prejudice to the appeal filed at the Supreme
Court to challenge the verdict of the Federal High Court in Port
Harcourt which ruled in favour of Mr. Sheriff as the acting chairman,
the committee in its report recommended the holding of unity
convention.
“You need to engage Sheriff before you lose the party and the only way
to achieve this is the adoption of the recommendations of the National
Reconciliation Committee which include engagement of political tools
and holding of unity convention,” the governor said.
Mr. Dickson said, “I wasn’t happy with what happened in Edo and Ekiti
States and in order to prevent its re-occurrence, we started meeting
with notable leaders of PDP including the former President, Ibrahim
Babangida, Gusau to mention but few.
“It will surprise you that when Gusau advised the two factional
chairmen to resign in the interest of the party, Ali Modu Sheriff
willingly obliged but Makarfi refused. If I were him, I would have
jumped at the opportunity and put an end to the unwarranted crisis.
“This event happened before the Court of Appeal judgement. I still
maintain my position that you deploy a political means to resolve a
political problem. You cannot come out of the court and be smiling. I
am a lawyer but Makarfi is not.
“Some people are of the opinion that Makarfi is having the support of
the majority, politics is not like that, every soul matter. That is
why we need to deploy political means which is consultation to resolve
this matter.”