ALI MODU Sherif-led National Working committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was yesterday sacked by the stakeholders who converged on Sharks stadium, popularly known as Civic Centre, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for the much publicised national convention.
In place of the dissolved NWC, the party set up what it called National Caretaker Committee and appointed former
Called National Caretaker Committee and appointed former governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi as its chairman and Senator Ben Obi as the Secretary.
The motion to sack the national officers od the party was moved by the former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon Austin Opara at the PDP parallel convention
in Port Harcourt. It was seconded by the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.
Former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, moved the motion to set up the caretaker committee and was seconded by the governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambos.
The seven-member Caretaker Committee is expected to organise a convention within 90 days, and work towards reconciling all the feuding members of the party. The committee was immediately sworn in to commence work.
Another major decision taken at the convention was the zoning of the presidential candidate of the party for 2019 general elections to the north .
The former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliu, moved the motion, while the Delta State governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa seconded it.
Another landmark decision taken by the party was to jettison the zoning policy of the party .
In his acceptance speech, Senator Markafi, who expressed surprise at his appointment, pledged to work for the unity and progress of the party.
Those in attendance at the convention included serving PDP governors, former governors of the party, former Senate President David Mark, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akapbio, among prominent members of the party.