By Emeka Nze
Abuja
The choice of a former chairman of the Board of Trustees of defunct All Nigeria’s Peoples Party (ANPP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the next chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday worsened the already frosty atmosphere in the party as some organs of the party led by its National Caucus insisted that he replaces Alhaji Adamu Muazu who resigned as National Chairman last year.
In a twist, however, some members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) vehemently kicked against the choice of Modu Sheriff, saying that for the party to present a good fight as an opposition party, it needed to think beyond the ex-lawmaker from Borno state.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the PDP national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh said Modu Sheriff was earlier adopted by the Governors Forum at their meeting on Monday while the National Assembly caucus as well as the National Working Committee (NWC) including the National Caucus adopted the former Borno state governor to become the next national chairman of the party.
According to Metuh, by this adoption, Modu Sheriff is recommended to both the Board of Trustees of the party and the NEC.
The party spokesperson said if Senator Sheriff scaled through BoT, NEC will ratify and announce him as the national chairman.
Explaining how the choice was narrowed to Sheriff, Metuh stated that 29 aspirants indicated interest to run for the position, but was screened down to five.