ABUJA, Federal Republic of Nigeria. (Tribune) — National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has set up special committees in line with the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) towards the planned national convention of the party.
The committees were the National Convention Committee, Reconciliation Committee, Zoning Committee and the Finance Committee.
A statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, in Abuja, on Sunday, said Modu Sheriff constituted the four special committees in preparation for the PDP national convention and the overall rebuilding and the repositioning of the party.
The National Convention Committee has Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike as chairman; Taraba State governor, Dairus Ishiaku as deputy chairman and the governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi as secretary.
Similarly, the Reconciliation Committee has the Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson as chairman and Senator Ibrahim Mantu as deputy chairman, while the Finance Committee has Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo as chairman and Senator Godswill Akpabio as deputy chairman.
In the same vein, the Zoning Committee has Akwa Ibom State governor, Emmanuel Udom as chairman and Mr Kelechi Igwe as secretary.
The committees will be inaugurated on Tuesday, April 5, by the national chairman at the national secretariat of the PDP in Abuja.
The setting up of the committee is coming at a time the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party raised the alarm that there might have been pressure on Modu Sheriff to extend his tenure as the party boss, against the three-month tenure he had been given, within which to organise the national convention to elect new National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Meanwhile, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, has enjoined various interests groups in the Lagos State chapter of the party, supposedly led by party’s former deputy national chairman, Chief Olabode George and the former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, to close ranks ahead 2019 governorship election in the state.
Modu Sheriff was in Lagos at the weekend, to meet with leadership and members of the party, noting that the rift between the various gladiators in the state was responsible for the failure of the party to win the 2015 governorship election in the state.
While harping on the need for the camps of Chief George and Obanikoro, to close ranks, the PDP chairman called for high level discipline and togetherness to move the party forward.
“I don’t want anybody to blame anybody. What we want now is what we will do to move the party forward. Lagos is important to our party and we must ensure that we put our house in order ahead of the congress.
“The actors are not complete but in order to avoid mistakes, all those that are not available for this parley, I will meet with them in Abuja. Before the congress, we will talk heart-to-heart and get their commitment that Lagos PDP will be in peace.
“What we need to do in Lagos, we cannot complete it unless those actors that are causing troubles are back. I won’t allow They are my friends if they allow Lagos to move on,” he said.
The PDP national chairman said following the failure of the party in the gubernatorial election, he called both George and Obanikoro to inform them that their acrimony contributed to the loss of the party.
Modu Sheriff, who was accompanied to the meeting by the South-West chairman of the PDP, Makanjuola Ogundipe, said the strength of the PDP was more than that of any party in Nigeria.
Present at the gathering were the two factional chairmen of the party in the state, Captain Olatunji Shelle and Mr Kamal Olorunoje; Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, Chief Mrs. Kofoworola Bucknor, Mrs Onikepo Oshodi, among others.
