• …Ex-president sets up 40-man peace committee

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

Efforts to resolve the lingering crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suffered yet another setback, yesterday, as factional Chairman, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff stormed out of a stakeholders meeting convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Sheriff, who arrived late for the meeting, left midway  into the close-door session, accompanied by his deputy, Cairo Ojougboh and many of his supporters.
Daily Sun reliably gathgered that Sheriff decided to stage a walk out because he was not recognised to speak at the meeting.
He told journalists at the meeting venue that as National Chairman, he ought to preside over every meeting of the party.
Although Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi, the chairman of the caretaker committee, were originally scheduled to present a goodwill messages at the opening session, none of them was called to speak.
Sheriff said he was abiding with the recommendation of Governor Seriake Dickson-led Reconciliation Committee on the party crisis.
He added that although he respects the former President,  that respect must be reciprocal.
“I respect him (Jonathan)  calling for the meeting. He was a former president but as of today, I am the most senior member of the party. Therefore, if I respect him, the respect must be reciprocated. You can’t call me for a meeting of PDP and say I cannot address the meeting as national chairman of the party,” he said.
He added: “We are here for PDP stakeholders meeting and the PDP has only one national chairman, which is Ali Modu-Sheriff. There is no PDP meeting that will take place under whatever arrangement that I will not open the session as national chairman. Today, I am the most senior member of this party.
“I think Governor Dickson made a proposal for reconciliation. And we have accepted. Some people want to deviate from this programme, to bring agenda which was not part of it. And as national chairman of the party, what I have told you people in my office when Dickson brought the report is the only thing that we have agreed at this moment. And I will not be party to anybody using me to do another programme. I am not going to be part of it.”
At the end of the closed-door session, Jonathan reiterated the determination of PDP leaders to resolve the party crisis.
The former president said a 40-man committee to forge a political solution to the party crisis would either be chaired by himself, former vice president Namadi Sambo or the former senate president, Senator David Mark.
According to him,  the committee would consist of six nominees each of the BoT, the Sheriff-led National Working Committee (NWC),  National Caretaker Committee to be drawn from the six geo-political zone and all PDP governors.
Others are Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Senate Minority leader, Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives minority leader, Leo Ogor.
Jonathan added that two former governors, two former ministers, two women and two youths would also serve in the committee.
He assured that the committee would come up with a roadmap for peace in the party within two weeks.
Ekiti State governor and chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Ayo Fayose told journalists at the end of the meeting that Sheriff’s decision to walk out of the meeting was not surprising.
He said Sheriff had always walked out of any idea to resolve the party crisis.
Fayose, however, warned that any National Convention organised by Sheriff would be illegal, as he would be doing so without the support of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC)
The stakeholders meeting was attended by David Mark, two former  National chairmen namely Okwesilieze Nwodo and Haliru Bello and former deputy national chairman, Uche Secondus.
Also in attendance were Governors Fayose,  Nyesom Wike and Darius Ishiaku of Ekiti, Rivers and Taraba states respectively, members of the National Assembly and other party chiefs.