No solution yet on PDP crisis —Makarfi

THE National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that there is yet no political solution to the leadership crisis bedeviling the party following reports that an agreement had been reached by the feuding parties.

The spokesman of the NCC, Prince Dayo Adeyeye pointed out in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday that the only agreement reached with the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party led by Senator Ali Sheriff was for both sides to refrain from media attacks on each other.

The National Reconciliation Committee of the party led by Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, brokered the agreement which was initialed by both groups in Abuja on Thursday.

However, the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led NCC clarified that the media ceasefire does not amount to a political solution of the crisis.

The statement read in part:”The attention of the National Caretaker Committee led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, CON, has been drawn to some publication in the news media misinforming the public that the parties have reached a ‘political solution’. This is not true and we wish to state that the agreement  signed yesterday before the Governor Dickson’s Reconciliation Committee was only to stop further  media attacks on officers, elders and other stakeholders of the PDP across the internal political divide.

“For the record, the agreement was not a political solution but rather an understanding reached urging representatives of “the key actors” from both groups not to dissipate energy amongst themselves but to focus on how to unite as a formidable force capable of re-gaining power from the failed All Progressive Congress (APC) led government in 2019.

“The agreement also implored both parties to desist from making public derogatory remarks against each other that could cause inflammatory reactions capable of dragging the Party to the mud.

“It is instructive to note that the National Caretaker Committee and all the organs of the Party are working hard with the Reconciliation Committee ably led by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson with other stakeholders to reach a lasting political solution.

“However, this effort is without prejudice to the Appeal before the Supreme Court of Nigeria against the Court of Appeal Judgment of February 17, 2017.”

The statement called on PDP members, teeming supporters and lovers of democracy to continue supporting the party leaders, elders and other critical stakeholders “as we work assiduously to bring the party crisis to an end.”