Senator Hope Uzodinma in a chat with some journalists recently, dismissed insinuations of hidden agenda in Ali Modu Sheriff’s leadership of the PDP. TAIYE ODEWALE was there
How will you react to the lingering leadership crisis in your party at the national level despite the recent Appeal Court ruling in favour of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as its legally recognized National Chairman?
Well, I think what is happening in the PDP is not unusual with the management of a very big and nice party like the PDP. To the glory of God, the last judgment of the Appeal Court has created a window for a political solution.
PDP is one very large family where we are bound to disagree to agree. In this case I think an opportunity as been created, the leaders of the party will now rise and encourage dialogue so that we can unite ourselves and then provide a very strong and viable opposition for people and the country.
So, what do you think should be done to arrive at a political solution by the two different factions?
What we need to do is for everybody to sheath his sword that is our advice as leaders and we would meet critical stakeholders, leaders of the party will meet, wider consultations will be encouraged and there will be an exit corridor from this crisis and the party will once more bounce back to do what is known.
We are not talking about factions anymore. I am a lawmaker and not a law breaker. If the Appeal Court has said Sheriff is the chairman, it goes without saying that people that understands the doctrine if the rule of law should obey the pronouncement of competent jurisdiction unless otherwise any Court of superior record in this instance that’s the Supreme says tomorrow that Sheriff is no longer the chairman.
I think rather than even going to the Supreme Court what we should do at this point as committed members of the party is to encourage all the leaders to rise above board, make sacrifices so that we would through dialogue and consensus, resolve the issues at hand.
But the governors and other party stakeholders in the Makarfi Group seem to have finally parted ways with Ali Modu Sheriff by not only seeing him as a mole in the party but somebody haven an hidden agenda against the needed peace in the party.
We cannot begin to tackle a hidden agenda until we know what agenda is. Something that is hidden is not seen and because I don’t have metaphysical capability I cannot say this is an agenda that is hidden. I don’t think Senator Modu Sheriff has any hidden agenda against the party. If you look at the way he came in as the National Chairman, you will surely agree with me because he was called and elected by our NEC to lead the party not just that he was imposed on the party from outside,
Yes problem later started between him and some of the party stakeholders particularly the governors due to disagreement in Port Harcourt last year over a convention which never holds due to a different position he took against that of the governors but that should not be construed by anybody as hidden agenda from Sheriff.
Rather than making unnecessary insinuations the next thing for us to have done right from that time which is not too late now, is to go back to where we stopped and see how we can make amends. You will agree with me that if you are in his shoes you won’t allow yourself to be humiliated the way the governors wanted to do to Sheriff in Port Harcourt, forgetting that a man of his stature in the Nigerian politics will never take that.
So, what will now be your own advice to party stakeholders at both divides for lasting solutions to the leadership crisis?
I will encourage dialogue and I will want us to be obedient to the rule of law and I will want peace to reign.
If you are in the opinion of larger members of the party sheriff is no longer needed we get him to come down and there are procedures in doing that. We have democratic procedures easing out anybody who has been elected we should follow that procedure and then discourage impunity as a way of pursuing democratic goals.
The interest of the party is far beyond and more important than any individual interest no matter highly placed the person is.
I believe and I am committed to the party and my genuine commitment is to see a strong party that will bring progress to the Nigerian people. It is not about Modu Sheriff, it is not about Markafi, it’s not about Hope Uzodinma, it’s about strengthening the platform so that we can use the platform to provide credible opposition to ensure that Nigeria people gets dividends of democracy from the present government.
What I think and I am canvassing is very straight that we should respect due process. We should be obedient to the rule of law. We had our misunderstanding granted for the past two years there was no serious reason to begin to hurry into settling the impasse. Now that election 2019 is fast approaching, there is need for us to put our house in order together as a party, United with a strong spirit and ensure that the party is not allowed to go down beyond where it is now. It is not about any individual, it is about the party.
I want to also advice some of us that have been around since 1998 when the party was formed. Am a pioneer member of the party and I have been around since 1998 in this party. I belong to the National caucus of the party;
I belong to the board of trustees and a member of NEC and a serving senator, I can consider myself a critical stakeholder who should not join the antics of a mad man who wishes to dance naked in the market square. What I will advise people should be reasonable, people should toe the line of peace and people should also embrace dialogue so that we can make progress.
