Makarfi accuses Sheriff of plotting to hijack PDP for 2019 presidential bid

The Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has warned that the party’s court-backed National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, cannot be trusted to conduct a convention for the PDP.

At a news conference in Abuja yesterday, spokesman for the Makarfi camp, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said if allowed to conduct the convention, Sheriff would plant his cronies in strategic positions for his selfish end.

According to him, the team of officers to be so planted by Sheriff would ensure they rubber-stamped his candidacy for the party’s 2019 presidential ticket.

At a media briefing on Monday, Sheriff in response to a question about his presidential ambition stated that he would leave his presidential ambition to God to decide.

Adeyeye said: “We have seen the handwriting on the wall. What Sheriff is doing is geared towards one goal; and that is to hijack the presidential ticket of the PDP come 2019.

“The former Borno State governor has clearly stated that he is interested in contesting the 2019 presidential election using the platform of our party, the PDP.

“We said it earlier, but most non-party members, as well as some members of the party, who could not see beyond the curtains, didn’t believe it.

“But we were sure that Senator Sheriff was holding the party to ransom because he wants to hijack the party and use it for his selfish interest.”

According to Makarfi, with Sheriff as a presidential candidate of any party, the 2019 elections would be a mere walk-over for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Having Sheriff as presidential candidate would be a death sentence for the PDP,” Adeyeye said.

The two camps traded words yesterday over alleged moves to influence the outcome of the appeal filed at the Supreme Court by the Makarfi camp.

Addressing reporters earlier, Sheriff’s deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, accused the Makarfi camp of making clandestine moves to influence the case.

Referring to the Makarfi camp, Ojougboh said: “It is worthy of note today that the same groups of impunity have now resorted to boasting that they are in control of the Supreme Court and that the judgment rejected by the Court of Appeal will be adopted by the Supreme Court.

“This same judgment that they paraded as the Court of Appeal judgment is what they have now claimed that the Supreme Court will uphold for them.

“We make bold to say nobody can buy the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court cannot be bought, and that the party has implicit confidence in the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Samuel Walter Onnoghen and his colleagues in the Supreme Court.

“We therefore, advise Sen. Makarfi and his co travellers that their wishful judgment which they are parading will remain in the thrash can while the party is moving forward and preparing for its national convention”.

But the Makarfi camp retorted that blackmailing judicial officers is the pastime of Sheriff and his group.

It said it was the same way the ex-Borno State governor and his group blackmailed members of panels of the Court of Appeal before the February 17 judgment of the appellate court.