Makarfi still PDP chairman — Forum of former PDP ministers

The forum of former PDP Ministers, has declared that the Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee is still the organ of the party legally charged to handle the affairs of the party.

Mr Saminu Turaki (SAN) ex-minister of Special Duties, made the announcement on Tuesday in Abuja while speaking with newsmen after members of the forum met with former President Goodluck Jonathan on the crisis rocking the party.

Responding to question posed to him by newsmen, Turaki said: “I am aware that an appeal has being launched against the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, yesterday – Monday.

“With the notice of appeal, I am also aware that application for injunction has been filed.

“The position of the law in a situation like this is that unless that application is taken and decided one way or another, there is an interim injunction.

“With that therefore, the caretaker committee (under Ahmed Makarfi) continues as the organ that is legally charged to propel the affairs of this party, PDP.

“We are here to exchange our ideas with our former leader, the former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, on the situation in our party today.’’

The former minister described the meeting with Jonathan as “lucid, educative and deepening.’’

He added that the forum was willing to meet any person or group in the party, including Ali Modu Sheriff genuinely interested in resolving the crisis in the party.

“So, we will meet, we are opened as far as Ali Modu Sheriff, who is also a member of this political party right now.

“If we feel that we want to see him with a view to moving this consultation forward, why not?’’ he asked.

Responding to another question, Turaki said: “what we have in PDP today is not something that is new to Nigerian democracy nor is it something new in other developed and advanced democracies.

“Even when we allow the court or get to the point where the Supreme Court, will have to make pronouncement, we still need each other; we are friends, we are family, we are brothers and sisters.

“At the end of the day, even between the tongue and teeth, there could be tense moment but it still does not mean that there will not be reconciliation between them.

“Politics is about interest, so the way and manner you harmonise this seemingly diametrically opposing views and carry everybody along is what determines the sophistication of the political party concern.

“And I think PDP will do that.’’

It would be recalled that in a judgment on Friday, the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal, recognised Ali Modu Sheriff as the chairman of the PDP.

The PDP ex-ministers, who met with Jonathan included Esther Nenadi, Osita Chidoka, John Odey, Bala Mohammed and Ibrahim Shekau.

Many who have commented on the “non-surprising” position of the PDP former ministers have however queried who between operators of the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government  run on the basis of the rule of law and the PDP people who would accept court judgment only when it favours them are actually disrespectful of courts.

One of the The DEFENDER’s respondents who spoke under condition of anonymity said, “The PDP are the only people that when the court give a judgment in matter within themselves and the police carries out the court, they must always find who to shift their blame to.  They are indeed the ones who disrespect the laws and they must caution themselves so that Nigerians, by their actions, do not lose interest in the ability of court to deliver on justice.  They can shift blame to APC because they think that APC behave like them when during their rule PDP determined the judgment of the court.”