By Emeka Nze
Abuja
The Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said that both feuding faction of the party have resigned their fate to the pronouncement of the judiciary since he and the Senator Ahmed Makarfi led faction could not resolve the crisis at negotiating table.
Sheriff also disclosed that his faction will hold its national convention in the first quarter of next year.
The factional chairman who made this disclosure yesterday while receiving a delegation of PDP executive for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) also declared that they are ready to abide with the decision of the court regarding the leadership dispute in the party.
He, however, stated that he is ready to return to the reconciliation table with Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led PDP, whom he also lambasted for trying to blackmail him over the raging leadership legal dispute.
While commenting on the report of his committee to review the party’s constitution Sheriff said: “Hopefully we shall conduct a free and fair convention in the first quarter of 2017.
“I, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, I am the agent of change for multiparty democracy in Nigeria. Our struggle is to change the old ways of doing things in the PDP. Consequently the committee for Constitution review Chaired by Hon. Bernard Mikko and the Mobilisation Committee Chaired by Dr. Patrick Okomiso submitted their reports last week. The report from Hon. Bernard Mikko Committee recommended that in addition to the amendments approved by the NEC in May additional three (3) recommendations should be presented to NEC when we reconvene.
“(1) That Presidents and Governors produced by the Party after their 2nd tenure and 8 years in office should be barred from adopting candidates to succeed them. Also National Chairmen and Party Chairmen and excos from wards, Local Governments, State and National be barred from adopting candidates. Any candidate so adopted shall be disqualified.
“(2) That since elected Presidents, NASS members and Governors are allowed to re-contest their positions while in office, elected Party officers be allowed to contest while in office also. The idea is to strengthen the Party and make the Party supreme.
“(3) All serving and former members of the National Assembly who are still members of the party should be statutory or automatic delegates to the national conventions”.