PDP women demand 2months ceasefire between Sheriff, Makarfi

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Women’s Forum has waded into the lingering leadership crisis in the party, calling for a two-month ceasefire between the Senator Ali Sheriff and the Senator Ahmed Makarfi’s groups.
The forum said at the end of its meeting in Abuja on Wednesday that both the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Sheriff and the National Caretaker Committee led by Makarfi must refrain from making public utterances that would further jeopardise the peace efforts initiated by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The forum also advised the former president to raise a committee of wise people with many women in it to fashion out a way out of the leadership crisis.
Led by Hon Nkoyo Toyo and Dr Aisha Bello as co-conveners, the women said they had decided to make a clarion call for PDP to put its act together to be able to play its role as the leading opposition party.
The communiqué issued at the end of the meeting affirmed that it was in the interest of the nation to have a viable opposition party.
It added: “Consequently, the meeting after much deliberation, decided to call on all the combatants to observe a period of verbal ceasefire and allow for a genuine reconciliation efforts to be explored.
“It noted the unhealthy exchanges in the press between the contending interests and appealed to all sides to subject themselves to the process of political reconciliation, which all feel had been initiated by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“It declared that the ceasefire should last for at least two months and the former President should look within and outside the party for enablers and influencers to assist in the reconciliation effort.
“It suggested the constitution of a ‘Committee of the Wise’ by Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, which will be populated by persons of goodwill towards the party with representation of not less than 40 per cent being women and youth.”
The women revealed that they on their part would set up their own committee to engage in lobbying various leaders and brokers of the conflict to seek meaningful peace and political resolution of the crisis.
The forum expressed the belief that the PDP was larger than the individuals and that ultimately the interest of the party must supersede that of groups, individuals and fractions.
PDP Women Forum committed itself “to relinquish to the future generations of the party, a viable party, conscious of its duty to all its members particularly, women, male and female youth and persons with disability.”
The forum said it has the ability through persuasion and massive mobilization to make its point about peace and agreed to work with its “large political base” to ensure the survival of the PDP as a viable party.
The women welcomed back President Muhammadu Buhari from his medical vacation and called on all women of the party to “fervently pray for his full recovery.”