CONTRARY to reports in some sections of the media, former President Goodluck Jonathan has said that he did not endorse Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
The clarification came in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by media assistant to Jonathan, Ikechukwu Eze, following what he said was the misrepresentation of his remarks made after a meeting with the former Borno state governor in his Abuja residence.
Jonathan said he was only interested in how to reunify the party which has suffered leadership crisis and factionalism.
Sheriff had gone to see the former president as part of his ongoing consultation with party leaders, on his intention to convene a national convention of the crisis-ridden opposition party following his reinstatement by the Court of Appeal.
The report had quoted Jonathan as referring to Sheriff as “my chairman”, which might have given the impression of an endorsement.
However, the statement said, the issue of endorsement did not come up during the closed door meeting or the media chat that followed.
The statement said: “As a peace-loving leader of the party, the former President’s interest is to help reposition PDP to enable it play a constructive role in the affairs of the nation, in view of the imperative of deepening the nation’s democracy.”
“I wish to let those spinning this falsehood, know that it just doesn’t add up to fly a contrived banner of endorsement in one breath, and in another, concede that the former President explained his commitment in meeting with different interest groups, towards resolving the differences in the party.”
The statement revealed that after the meeting with Sheriff and his delegation, Jonathan also met the Chairman of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi as he continued to broker peace between the feuding parties.
“Indeed, it may interest you to know that after meeting with Sheriff, the former President also met with Senator Ahmed Makarfi, leader of the PDP Caretaker Committee, and the party’s Board of Trustees chairman, Senator Walid Jubril, later in the evening,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, a delegation of former Ministers of PDP on Tuesday, paid a visit to President Jonathan.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, chairman of the Forum and former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, said the visit was to exchange ideas with the former president over the leadership crisis in the party.
He said: “We have had very fruitful discussion on the way forward and how our party will be propelled forward and how we will resolve very pressing issues that are bedevilling our party.
“We will continue with our consultation with other critical stakeholders, like the Board of Trustees and the National Assembly.”
“In all these, we seek the understanding of our members, that the PDP remains the largest party in the country and it has the mechanism to resolve all issues through internal mediation processes, whatever the challenges that may arise within the party.”
“We are confident that from the discussion we have had with the former president, we will resolve the crisis.”
“What we have in PDP today is not new in Nigeria. When you engage in a war and this is not a war, this is a mere feud within the family, there would still be reconciliation.”
“We hope that we will be able to resolve this issue even before the Supreme Court presides on this matter. Even if the Supreme Court resolves this matter, there will still reconciliation. Politics is not absence of crisis. It is about interest.”
“The way and manner you harmonise these seemingly diametrically opposed interests from one group to another and carry everybody along is what will determine the sophistication of the political party, and I think the PDP will do that.”
“Even if the Supreme Court determines this, we will still need to sit down as one family to look at each other and resolve” Turaki said.
Members of the delegation included John Odey, Patricia Akwashiki, Femi Fani-Kayode, Ibrahim Shekarau, Osita Chidoka.
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