The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governors’ Forum and other organs of the party have pledged their support to the new National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff.
Chairman of the forum, Gov. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo, announced this at a news conference after forum’s meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.
Mimiko said the major organs of the party had agreed to stand by Sheriff as the party’s national chairman.
“I am happy to let you know that all the major organs in the party have agreed to stand by our national chairman, to ensure that our party moves forward.
“They are the Governors’ Forum, National Working Committee, National Assembly Caucus and the Board of Trustees.
“We have put behind us all the controversies in the press in recent times. I want to assure you that we are together as a party”, Mimiko said.
He added that the organs mandated the national chairman and the national working committee to organize the party’s national convention within three months.
“We will brief all our members nationwide within the next two weeks, of the timetable in that direction.
“In the next two weeks, the timetable will be out, all cumulating in our national convention within three months,” he said.
Mimiko said all past PDP ministers were represented at the meeting.
“They emanate from the state. The caucus of the party is designed in such a way that every state is represented by the chairman of the party.
“Secondly, all the key organs in the party are also represented in the caucus.’’
Mimiko said that while all state chairmen were members of the caucus, they were also part and parcel of the decision that led to this controversy.’’
The Acting Chairman of BoT, Sen. Walid Jibrin, said all organs of the party took the decision revealed by PDP governors.
Jibrin commended the forum for bringing the matter to an end.
He called on members of the party to be calm, saying that the party’s congresses and national convention would come in three months.
However, PDP former Ministers Forum has rejected Sheriff as national chairman of the party.
Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, the Chairman of the forum, told news conference that they took the decision because the process that brought him was illegitimate.
Turaki commended PDP BoT for rejecting the “imposition of Sheriff.”
“The process that led to his emergence as the national chairman lacked transparency and internal democracy.
“The forum calls for the conduct of congresses at all levels of the party leading to a national convention that should be held before March 28, to return power to the people, in tandem with PDP constitution,” he stated.
He said the forum resolved to continue consultations with relevant stakeholders and groups with a view to solving the present challenge and strengthening the party.
Turaki said that many members of his forum were also members of BoT.
He, however, stressed that members of his forum were not aware that BoT members had changed their stand. (NAN)