PDP crisis: Sheriff, Makarfi to nominate reconciliation committee members Monday

There were indications yesterday that the warring factions in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may on Monday nominate those who will represent them on the reconciliation committee.



Consultations were ongoing last night on the composition of the reconciliation team.

The factions include a group led by the sacked National Chairman of the party, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff and the Interim National Caretaker Committee headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

Also, more governors are begging Sheriff to “sacrifice all” to restore PDP back to a vibrant party.

But a top party source said the outcome of the agreement would determine whether or not the reconciliation will work.

One of the proposals on the card is to allow Sheriff and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) to remain in office till 2017.

According to a top source who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, the founding fathers of the PDP, including ex-President Ibrahim Babangida and a former National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau, have played a vital role in bringing Sheriff and Makarfi together.

The source said: “Actually, Gusau has been playing a pivotal role. He facilitated the preliminary talks and understanding between Sheriff and Makarfi.

“The two warring factions have set a template bordering only on the resolution of the crisis in PDP. The intervention of the founding fathers has led to the building of a consensus to put the crisis behind us.

“Besides the Sheriff factor, we have discovered that some PDP governors are not on the same page with Makarfi’s Caretaker Committee.

“If there was no intervention by these elders, the crisis would have taken a deeper dimension.

“We are just lucky that wise counsel has prevailed with Sheriff and Makarfi agreeing to end the feud.

“But how to resolve the crisis will lead to the inauguration of a reconciliation committee. All the warring groups are expected to nominate members of the committee. We may do so by Monday.

“The nature of the agreement at this committee’s level will determine the shape of the reconciliation.”

Ahead of the inauguration of the reconciliation committee, it was learnt that some leaders of the party and PDP governors are already weighing options including having a harmonized National Working Committee or allowing Sheriff and his NWC team to run the party till 2017.

Another source said: “Most party leaders and some governors are already buying the idea of leaving Sheriff and his NWC to be in charge till April or May 2017 when a new National Convention will hold.

“Some members of the NWC of the Sheriff Camp arrived in Abuja on Thursday in line with the new thinking.