Dr Cairo Ojougboh, a former Nationall Vice Chairman (South-South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said that discussions were ongoing to address the leadership crisis rocking the party.
Ojougboh, who is also the newly appointed acting National Deputy Chairman of the party by the disputed National Chairman of PDP, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, disclosed this during a press conference on Thursday in Abuja.
He said both the Sheriff, and the Chairman of PDP National Caretaker Committee, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, led-groups were discussing for a common ground.
“We have made our points for peace very clear and the two groups are working on it.
“There are some intermediaries that are looking into it and I am very sure that very soon we will let you know what is happening.
“But we are insisting the Sheriff must be recognised as Chairman. That is the basis for reconciliation.
“And that Sheriff must look at the congresses in all the states again and bring out correct and acceptable people who will run the affairs of the party not the caucus, not governor,” he said.
Ojougboh also condemned a statement attributed to a member of the national caretaker committee in charge of publicity Mr Dayo Adeyey calling for the arrest of Sheriff for parading himself as the PDP national chairman.
He said that a recent judgment from a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had ordered that Sheriff was recognised chairman of the party.
Ojougboh added that the the judgment also gave Sheriff the power to submit the names of PDP candidates for Edo and Ondo states governorship elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
” The judgement they are celebrating in Port Harcourt, of course, is the judgement of Emperor of Ikwere. We have appealed it and we have also called for a stay of execution. So, it is neither here nor there.
“But the chairman of PDP, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff has some other subsisting judgements in his favour, and if anybody is to be arrested, it is Adeyeye who is making allusion that people arrested.”
Ojougboh said all that Sheriff wanted was to return the party to the people from few individuals controlling it.
” He doesn’t want only the governors to sit down in their rooms and write the names of candidates and submit. That is the root of the crisis we are having today in the PDP, and Sheriff is ready to address it.”(NAN)