Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has
urged members of the party to ignore an advice for those of them desirous of
contesting elections to look for alternative platforms.
Sheriff said this in a statement issued by Mr Bernard Mikko,
the acting PDP Spokesperson to Sheriff on Wednesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the National
Caretaker Committee-led by Sen. Ahmed Makarfi had said that states chapters of
the party were free to decide on any political platform their candidates could
contest while waiting for Supreme Court’s verdict on the leadership tussle.
Makarfi said that the call became necessary following the
party’s experience in previous elections in Edo and Ondo where Sheriff fielded
candidates against the party’s choice.
“We call on all loyal members to ignore this call and see
them for what they are; destroyers of our much cherished party.
“We equally call on all members who are desirous of
contesting elections to use the PDP and be rest assured of level playing field
guaranteed by internal party democracy.
“It is now clear that having failed to convince members to
follow them to their proposed new party, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi and his
co-travellers have resorted to using everything available to destroy our party.
“This new antic will also fail,’’ Sherif said.
According to him, the party’s National Caretaker Committee
is illegal.
He assured all PDP aspirants that the end to impunity and
imposition of candidates in the party was in sight.
Meanwhile, the Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee had
denied a report that the committee directed PDP members to defect to other
political parties.
The committee in a separate statement issued by its National
Publicity Secretary, Mr Dayo Adeyeye described the publication as misleading,
saying the committee had never asked anyone to defect.
Adeyeye added that it was a deliberate attempt to
misrepresent the committee’s position and cause confusion among the rank and
file of PDP members.
He said that clarification became necessary following the
confusion caused by a newspaper headline that the committee directed PDP
members to vote for another party in the forthcoming local government elections
in Lagos.
“There was no such directive from the National Caretaker
Committee.
“Our statement was very clear and unambiguous which was to
the effect that we are in court and have absolute faith and confidence in the
judiciary to dispense justice without fear or favour.
“We are aware that PDP is being disenfranchised in some
elections and that different states have adopted different approaches to the
issue without prejudice to the substantive matter before the court.
“We state categorically that the National Caretaker
Committee has never asked anyone to defect to another Party. PDP is our
party.’’
He enjoined PDP members to continue to demonstrate total
commitment and loyalty to the party.
NAN
