•Sheriff, Makarfi supporters demonstrate in Abuja

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

Supporters of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and those of Senator Ahmed Makarfi besieged the Wadata Plaza National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, in a twin protest to drum support for the two feuding party leaders.

Makarfi’s supporters, who were mostly women, had arrived the party’s secretariat at about 11.17am chanting songs in favour of the caretaker committee chairman and demanded that Sheriff vacated the PDP secretariat.

Not long after, another group of protesters, mainly youths, arrived the party secretariat, extolling Sheriff’s virtues as the national chairman of the party.

But for the early arrival of men of the Nigeria Police Force, the situation would have degenerated into a clash between both groups. The police later dispersed the protesters and took over all the access roads to the secretariat.

As at press time, a total of six police Hilux vans, one Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and two Hilux vans belonging to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were still stationed at the PDP national secretariat.

Regardless, preparatory to the resumption of Sheriff at the Wadata Plaza, renovation has commenced at the party’s secretariat. As at yesterday evening the fence and main building had been given a face lift.

Meanwhile, Makarfi’s faction of the PDP has advanced “evidence” to support its claim that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is behind the party’s crisis.

Sheriff was declared the authentic chairman of the PDP by the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, two weeks ago, but the Makarfi faction said it has appealed the decision at the Supreme Court.

Speaking, yesterday, at a press conference in Abuja, spokesperson of the Makarfi faction, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said actions of some leaders of the APC proved its allegations of instigating crisis in the PDP.

“We have stated several times that the APC has its hand deep in the PDP crisis. There is no doubt that Sheriff’s activities against the PDP are being aided and abated by the APC,” he said.

“For the records, just last week,  Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha gave unsolicited advice that we should support Senator Sheriff. That is one instance of their meddlesomeness in the PDP affairs.

“No doubt, Okorocha and co. are happy that their man won at the Appeal Court, but very much afraid that he could lose at the Supreme Court.

“Also, we have it on good authority that the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi has deployed his former Abuja Liaison Officer who was a former Intermediate Officer of the party, Mr. John Enebeli, among others, to lure some members of staff in support of Sheriff by promising them huge sums of money to offset their outstanding allowances,” Adeyeye said.