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PDP Chairmanship: Opposition Mounts As Modu Sherrif Lobbies for Retention

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National chairman of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sherrif, is working round the clock to break with earlier agreement to stay as the party’s boss for only three months, and emerge as the chairman of the party at the May 21 national convention.

While a powerful bloc of PDP leaders oppose his emergence as chairman at the congress, a few others are working would rather see Sherrif emerge as party chairman at Port Harcourt convention.

The progressive bloc, led by Ondo State Governor, Dr. Segun Mimiko rejects Sherrif’s ambition based on the zoning formula of the party which holds that the North holds the position for 4 years and then hands it over to the South.

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But to actualize his objective, on Sunday, April 22, 2016, Sherrif visited former chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, former Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu. He urged Aliyu to prevail on some high powered party members to buy into his vision and accept his emergence at the congress.

Ministers who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan, have vowed to defect from the party if Sheriff emerges as national chairman of the party at the May 21 congress.

It was learnt that the ministers insisted that they would not be in a party that would be led by the former governor of Borno State from May 21. The former ministers met in Abuja on Thursday, April 22, 2016 where they reviewed activities in the party, with particular attention to its forthcoming national convention.

They also considered the preliminary reports from the zoning committee of the party.

The zoning committee, headed by the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, was said to have zoned the office of the national chairman to the North-East.

It was generally believed that the committee, which has the governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, as deputy, zoned the office to the North East as a strategy to return Sherrif to office on May 21.

Fayose and the governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike were said to have sold the candidacy of the former governor to the party in February. They were also said to still be backing him to continue in office despite a barrage of opposition to his candidacy.

A top party member privy to his meeting with the former governor said he assured the former governor that he is seeking the mandate to reorganize the PDP before the next election in order to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said Sherrif is under pressure because of the gang-up against his desire to return to office. Most leaders of PDP from the North cannot understand why Sheriff will want to be national chairman at a time the zone is seeking the party’s 2019 presidential ticket. He said the Northern governors see his ambition to lead the party as a spoiler’s game which will not help the North.

A member of the national working committee of the PDP said: “The fear of Sherrif’s candidacy is about his alleged presidential aspiration. Some PDP leaders are suspecting that Sherrif might transmute from party leadership to presidential candidacy.

Those who oppose his emergence argued that Bamanga Tukur and Adamu Muazu are from the North East who led the party for between three to four years, hence it would be unreasonable to cede the chairmanship again to the North East. Party leaders have said the chairmanship has been zoned to the South and if Sheriff eventually emerges, many leaders will leave the party in droves.

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