PDP Trustees kick as Govs elect Ali Modu Sheriff , National chairman of PDP

It was a show of political might within the ranks of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday night, as governors elected on the party’s platform browbeat members of its Board of Trustees (BoT) and foisted their former colleague, Ali Modu Sherrif, as national chairman, splitting the party.

The PDP Governors’ Forum, the party’s National Assembly Caucus and National Working Committee (NWC) had earlier endorsed Sheriff as the party National Chairman, but the party’s Board of Trustee (BoT) and state chairmen of the party rejected his nomination, pushing the position that his emergence would destroy the image of the party.

Angered by this development, the governors, BoT members, NWC and some other stakeholders, who were preparing for the NEC meeting quickly made a detour and held an emergency meeting at the party acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus’ office to discuss the development.

But the BoT, the advisory body of the party, which insisted that the nomination of Sheriff would not fly, stormed out of the meeting for their respective destination.
State chairmen of the party, who were not comfortable with Sheriff as the Chairman of the party, had registered their protest, rejecting the nomination out rightly.
Sheriff is expected to complete the tenure of Adamu Mu’azu, who hails from the North-east but resigned in May, 2015, following the lost of PDP at the general election.
Sheriff, who joined PDP July, 2014, was the Board of Trustee (BoT) Chairman of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and was also the governor of Borno State and a Senator under the platform of ANPP, before it merged into All Progressives Congress (APC).
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, who spoke with journalists on Monday night had said, “Basically the two governors of the North-east brought five people for consideration: Amb. Wilberforce Juta, Sen. Seidu Umar Kumo, Sen. Giri Gana, Shehu Gabam and Abba Gana.”
He had said: “We looked at the list and decided to enlarge the list. So, we’ve invited some other leaders from that Zone. We called four other
The BoT had stormed out of the meeting held with governors and other stakeholders at the Secondus’ office before the commencement of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
Before the end of the NEC meeting, Sheriff stormed the party national secretariat, headed straight to the national chairman’s office, from there he was led to the venue of the NEC meeting to be sworn-in as chairman.
In his acceptance speech, shortly after he was sworn-in, Sheriff said that the task before him was challenging.
He said that he would carry all parties along, adding that he would restructure the party to take back government in 2019.
He said: “I will rebuild this party, carry everybody along and ensure that the PDP comes to power in 2019. I know that people have expressed different opinions, which are allowed in party politics and democracy, but I want to assure everybody that the choice you made today, nobody in this hall will regret it. We will rule come 2019. PDP is the party that is grounded.”
All the PDP state governors and other stakeholders of the party attended the meeting.