Sheriff in fresh battle for relevance

LEON USIGBE writes on the fresh struggle by factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, to retain absolute control of the opposition party.

BEYOND the energy-sapping battle he has had with Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi over the control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claimant to the office of the National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has just found out that he has another flank in the war, this time with the administrative staff of the main opposition party. They set off alarm bell recently when they openly declared their loyalty to the Makarfi-National Caretaker Committee.

Before that, the former Borno state governor who operates from his personal office in Abuja, had little need for the PDP staff and perhaps did not anticipate that there would be a problem with their loyalty because the employees have stayed out of work since May 22, 2016 when the party national secretariat was placed under police lock and keys. But it was that lack of access to their office that apparently spurred the staff into action.

Meeting under the aegis of PDP Staff Welfare Forum, they resolved last week to have a protest march at entrance of the Wadata Plaza Zone 5, Abuja party headquarters where they called on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to immediately reopen the national secretariat and allow them access to their offices.

They also denounced the delay in adjudication of the cases in court expected to lay the crisis to rest. Secretary of the Forum. Dan Ochubaiye, announced the decisions the staff during the protest, expressing the forum’s regret of their continuous stay at home as a result of the shutdown of the national secretariat by the NPF, “a situation which suggests that certain elements want to ensure that the PDP national secretariat is perpetually under lock and key.”

The forum observed that there was no court order backing the shutdown of the party headquarters by the police and therefore demanded its immediate and unconditional reopening to allow staff to gain entry into their offices for routine party activities. “It is only fair and just for the staff to be allowed into their legitimate offices while the police is duty bound to provide adequate security for them as  provided by the Nigerian constitution,” the forum stated.

While appreciating the Judiciary, the PDP Staff Welfare Forum appealed to them to speedily dispense justice as it concerns pending PDP cases before the court “in order to save our democracy from gradually degenerating into a one party state.”

The forum also regretted the poor situation of the welfare of its members “since the unfortunate outing of the PDP in the last general elections,” calling on all the organs and stakeholders in the party to “urgently support the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee in all ramifications.” The staff then aimed a veiled jab at Sheriff who they suggested was found of presenting incessant petitions to the courts in an obvious attempt to delay justice.  “The staff of the secretariat believe that the delay is only beneficial to the petitioner, who is being sponsored by the ruling party, the  All Progressive Congress (APC) in order to weaken and silence the only opposition party,” the forum alleged.

Therefore, they urged the judiciary, which they said they hold in high esteem and believe in, “to remain unbiased and dispense justice that will maintain the sanctity and independence of the rule of law and the court.” Subsequently, the forum commended the national leadership for the efforts it had made so far and called on all the organs and stakeholders in the party to “urgently support the Ahmed Makarfi led National Caretaker Committee in all ramifications.” The action drew the commendation of the National Caretaker Committee which saw it as a “demonstration of their commitment to service, loyalty and dedication to the party’s well-being, peaceful Nigeria, and advancement of democracy at large.”

However, it did not go down well with Sheriff who along with his factional National Working Committee made frantic efforts in last few days to try to clinch the loyalty of the staff. Through an intermediary, Sheriff dangled the payment backlog of salaries and four months outstanding housing allowances before them with a commitment to enhance their welfare if they assure his leadership of their loyalty. Pursuant to this, he scheduled a meeting with the staff at his personal office in Maitama, Abuja. But it failed to materialize becauser the staff boycotted it. “I am not aware of any such meeting. I am not part of it,” PDP’s Director of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, said when asked about it. On his part, when confronted with the allegation of inviting the staff to a meeting to woo them with money, Special Adviser to Sheriff on media, Inuwa Bwala said: “Let’s get to the bridge before we cross it.”

The staff have continued to hold Sheriff with suspicion, noting in another statement they released after the failed meeting that they would only consider having a meeting with him if he does two things: advocate the re-opening of the national secretariat and, as a true opposition leader, begins to criticize the actions and policies of the President Muhammedu Buhari and his APC.