Highly controversial, Senator Sheriff, the former Borno State governor was named as PDP chairman last week but his appointment has sparked a wave of protests within the party. Several party members have questioned his suitability for the role as not only is he facing corruption charges with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but he has also been accused of being a Boko Haram sponsor.
Dismissing such criticism as unrealistic, Senator Sheriff said that were he a Boko Haram sponsor, President Muhammadu Buhari would have had him arrested by now. Yesterday, while hosting a delegation from the Arewa Social Media Forum (Asmefo) led by Yusuf Dingyadi, Senator Sheriff described the crisis within the PDP as man-made and self-inflicted and apologised to Nigerians for the party's mistakes.
Senator Sheriff said: “We have a mandate of the party members and leaders to reposition the party and we will not work with anyone who will create crisis or violence in the party no matter their positions. The party has suffered enough for its mistakes and members and indeed Nigerians are looking forward towards a repositioned PDP.”
He however described administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a mistake, adding that the PDP lost power because of past injustices and frustrations of many members who make up 60% of the APC. He further vowed to take his campaign to all the nooks and crannies of the country, focusing on the wards and grassroots to bring back aggrieved members of the party and dislodge the APC from office.
Mr Dingyadi, in company of Yasir Ramadan Gwale and Mansur Ahmad, decried the state of affairs of youths in the northern parts of the country. He added that it is unacceptable that the social media, which is supposed to strengthen the lots of youths of the region, has been turned as a tool to divide and worsen their situation.
Meanwhile, a group of PDP members under the aegis of Restart PDP Project have accused members of board of trustees of corruption over their sudden approval and support of Senator Sheriff as national chairman. Describing his appointment as an act of corruption and impunity, the group however gave Senator Sheriff and the current national working committee an ultimatum to leave office on March 31 for the good of the party.
They added that for openly threatening Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Senator Sheriff has demonstrated that he is undemocratic. According to the aggrieved group, Senator Sheriff as a serial defector and his continuous membership and chairmanship of the PDP will make the party remain a dumping ground of political rejects.
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