The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party took a new
dimension on Thursday when its National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff,
accused the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyeson Wike, and his Ekiti State
counterpart, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, of recruiting former President Goodluck
Jonathan to scuttle the party’s peace process.
He alleged that the two governors gave the former President
the task of scuttling the efforts of the party’s Peace and Reconciliation
Committee headed by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson.
The former President had, on Thursday last week in Abuja,
organised the party’s stakeholders’ meeting, which ended in disarray.
Sheriff and members of his National Working Committee walked
out of the meeting due to disagreements on how it should be conducted.
However, members of the sacked National Caretaker Committee
of the party, headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, and other stakeholders of the
party were in attendance.
The Makarfi committee, which was sacked by the Court of
Appeal in Port Harcourt, has however taken its case to the Supreme Court.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday,
Sheriff, who spoke through his deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, said Jonathan was
lured into committing a serious breach of protocol that led to the failure of
the exercise which was the intended outcome.
He said, “It was a thing of joy for the party faithful as
they jubilated that indeed peace has returned to the party.
“But to the surprise of all, Wike and Fayose recruited the
former President Goodluck Jonathan into a fake peace effort predetermined to
scuttle Governor Dickson’s efforts.
“The result is that President Jonathan was lured into
committing a serious breach of protocol that led to the failure of the
exercise, which was the intended outcome.”
Sheriff also alleged that Wike sponsored the meeting (with
Jonathan) with the sum of N50m.
He said, “The allegation that Wike spent a whopping N50m to
host the last failed meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan is neither
palatable nor is it acceptable.”
Sheriff further alleged that the governor had spent several
millions in relation to the PDP case at the Supreme Court.
He said, “It is said that Wike paid $1m for legal fees to
Markarfi’s attorneys in the ongoing Supreme Court matter and has disbursed $5m
to unknown persons in relation to the Supreme Court case.
“He has been boasting that he bought his governorship
Supreme Court judgment through someone (name withheld) in Suit No
PHC/810/2016.”
The party chairman expressed concern with what he described
as “needless spending” by Wike.
He added, “The party is worried that the amount of money
Wike is spending needlessly is worrisome and a measure of unbridled profligacy
intended to further smear the good image of the party.
“This money belongs to the people of Rivers State and it
should not be misappropriated at the expense of the people to whom it
rightfully belongs.
“Anybody partaking in the misuse of Rivers State money
should be fully aware that it is blood money. We therefore call on party
leaders and Nigerians to refrain from accepting these monies from Governor Wike
in line with the spirit of our founding fathers.”
Sheriff nevertheless announced that the party’s National
Executive Council meeting would hold on May 3, in Abuja.
But Jonathan denied collecting money from anyone to host the
botched meeting.
The former President, who spoke through his media aide, Mr.
Ikechukwu Eze, said that there was no reason for anybody to accuse him of
collecting money from anybody to organise a stakeholders’ meeting.
The ex-President stated, “The former President intervened in
the crisis because of his genuine commitment to bring about peace in the party
that made him President. I don’t think anybody will believe that he collected
money from anybody to organise the meeting.
“It is out of his genuine concern to bring peace to the
party. He has been meeting with members of the party; he met with Sheriff
several times, he also met with Makarfi several times. He met with the
governors.
“I don’t see any reason for anybody to say that Jonathan
collected money from anybody to organise the stakeholders’ conference.”
In his own reaction, Fayose said Sheriff was doing the
bidding of his paymasters in the All Progressives Congress.
Fayose spoke through his Special Assistant on Public
Communications and New Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka.
“If Ali Modu Sheriff has taken his desperation to serve his
paymasters in the APC to the level of accusing former President Goodluck
Jonathan of being bribed to organise a peace meeting for the PDP, there is no
reason for any sane mind to continue to respond to the continuous advertisement
of his (Sheriff) political insanity,” he added.
By Olusola Fabiyi and Chukwudi Akasike
