Chairman of People’s Democratic Party, Ali Modu Sheriff, on Thursday, walked out of a meeting organised by former President Goodluck Jonathan to broker peace within the party.
Sheriff’s exit was just as dramatic as his entry. The PDP Chairman arrived a few minutes after Jonathan, delivered a short speech and walked out immediately with members of his national working committee around 4:15 pm.
Among those who walked out of the meeting with Sheriff were Cairo Ojougboh, deputy national chairman, and Mikko Bernard, publicity secretary.
“We are here for PDP stakeholders meeting and the PDP has only one national chairman, which is Ali Modu Sheriff,” he said.
“There is no PDP meeting that will take place under whatever arrangement that will not open the session as national chairman. Today, I’m the most senior member of this party.”
Sheriff also added that, as the party’s chairman, he would only recognize the report submitted by the Seriake Dickson-led reconciliation committee.
“I think Gov Dickson made a proposal for reconciliation that we have accepted. Some people want to deviate from this programme, to bring agenda which was not part of it,” he said.
“As national chairman of the party, what I told you in my office when Dickson brought the report is the only thing that we have agreed to at this moment.
“I will not be party to anybody using me to do another programme. I’m not going to be part of it.”
“As the national chairman of PDP, I will move on with the programmes initiated by Gov. Dickson. We are continuing with that; anything outside that, I’m not a party to it.”
The meeting resumed shortly after Sheriff and his loyalists departed.
Jonathan said that the committee would present its recommendations despite Sheriff’s theatrical display.