PDP crisis: Save democracy, Oyo PDP leaders tell S/Court, declare support for Makarfi

SEVERAL leaders and stakeholders in the Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have expressed faith in the Supreme Court as the “last bastion of hope for the common man,” noting that it would be able to uphold democratic principles with regards to the leadership crisis rocking the party, which they said “had the hands of fifth columnists who seem desperate to destroy the nation’s democracy.”

The PDP stakeholders, in a communique issued in Ibadan, at the weekend, following an emergency meeting of the Oyo State PDP (Makarfi Group), declared their support for the National Caretaker Committee of the party led by former Kaduna State governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, saying they aligned themselves with all steps taken by the Makarfi leadership towards engendering peace and stability in the PDP.

It will be recalled that the Makarfi Group of the party had, following the Court Appeal judgement that declared Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman of the PDP, filed an appeal at the Supreme Court as well a motion for the stay of execution of the judgement, with the apex court adjourning the matter for the hearing of motions till 4 May, 2017.

The Makarfi Group in Oyo State, which consisted of several key leaders such as Senator Ayoade Adeseun; former Majority leader of the House of Representatives, Mulikat Akande-Adeola; former Minister of State for FCT, Chief Jumoke Akinjide; Dr. Saka Balogun and the immediate past Senate Deputy Whip, Senator Hosea Agboola, who was represented at the meeting by Honourable Dayo Ogungbenro, said they were in support of the steps taken by the Makarfi leadership, “which already has the support of at least 80 per cent of the generality of the PDP membership across Nigeria.”

“By this communiqué, we express our vote of confidence in the Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee and we support and bind ourselves to all steps taken by Senator Makarfi and his caretaker committee, including but not limited to the pursuit of an appeal at the Supreme Court,” the four-point communiqué signed by the state chairman of the Oyo State PDP (Makarfi Group) and former member of the House of Representatives, Dr Ajibola Muraina and the publicity secretary, Alhaji Akeem Oke, read in part.

Earlier, in his opening address, Muraina had reported to the meeting the activities of the Makarfi led PDP, including the filing of an appeal to the judgement that favoured Sheriff and calling for accelerated hearing into the matter as well as the zonal and PDP state chairmen’s meetings he attended, where deliberations were made on finding lasting solutions to the crisis in the party, calling for prayers for the PDP and Nigeria.