PDP crisis: Handle Sheriff with care, might be a bull in a China shop —Lar

A leading member of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Victor Lar  has described the national chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as a bull in a China shop that should be handled with care.

Speaking with Sunday Tribune in Jos, he said Sheriff had court judgement in his favour as the authentic national chairman, but did not have the support of the party’s stakeholders.

“Presently, he has a court judgment to show that he is the national chairman of PDP, but most of the National Working Committee (NWC) members, who could  have given him legitimacy, had since resigned. He is now working with directors that are not members of NWC,” he stressed.

The former lawmaker, who stated that  the crisis in the party needed legal and political approaches, said  both Sheriff and Makarfi groups must be prepared to let go certain things to pave the way for  genuine reconciliation.

According to him: “Looking at it critically, the NWC members have all resigned but serving governors, former governors, and ministers are all with Makarfi. Over 85 per cent members of PDP are with Makarfi. With this, Sheriff ought to have embraced peace and resign.

“When you have a bull in a China shop, you can’t force the bull out, as any attempt to do that might cause more damage.

“To bring about genuine reconciliation, we must inject a little bit of legal and political solution.  Whether we like it or not, 85 per cent of the stakeholders are with Markafi, while others are with Sheriff, but they can’t be underrated.

“The party would have confidently won  Ondo and Edo governorship elections, but he injected confusion and bungled the whole  thing. That is why we need to be careful with Ekiti, Osun and other elections:”

On the emergence of Sheriff faction of PDP in Plateau, Lar said the Honourable Damishi Sango-led state executive was the authentic, adding that the group that visited national chairman was sponsored to cause confusion in the party.

According to him, Gyang Badung who is parading himself as the Plateau State chairman of PDP did not take part in the state  congress that produced Sango’s executives.