Sheriff, IBB, Aliyu in closed-door meeting

THE National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali-Modu Sheriff, has said that the court ruling in his favour is a victory for the PDP across the country.

He stated this on Sunday when he paid a courtesy call on former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, at his Minna residence in Niger State.

He said that the ongoing crisis within the former ruling party was just a misunderstanding within a family, while calling on party members to come together to form a formidable team.

Sheriff, who was in Minna in company of the immediate past governor of the state, Dr Babangida Aliyu, with whom he held a closed-door meeting with the former leader, said the court ruling in his favour was also a victory for the embattled party.

Babangida, in a brief interaction with newsmen, had commended Sheriff for the manner he handled his victory at the Appeal Court, saying: “I am very happy with your statement after the court ruling; it shows that there is room for reconciliation and unity.

“There is the need to bring everybody back to make the party a formidable opposition.”

Speaking to journalists on the purpose of his visit, after the closed-door meeting, Senator Sheriff said:  “IBB is our father. During our meeting, he said he is happy with my statement after the court ruling. He also asked me to continue that way so that I can bring everybody back to make the party a formidable opposition.”

Speaking further, he said: “What we want to do now is how to put the party back to shape so that everyone that is aggrieved is brought back as one united family. Look, united we stand, divided we fall.”

When asked if he has got across to the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the party, he said: “I have even called Makarfi himself. I have called on everybody to come back so that we can work together.”

Also, former Niger State governor, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu, said: “Now that we have a legal decision which support the position of the matter, even though other people talked about going higher (Supreme Court), others are saying ‘No’.”