Makarfi Angry With Gov Dickson For Submitting Report To Modu-Sheriff Published March 9, 2017

Makarfi Angry With Gov Dickson For Submitting Report To Modu-Sheriff

Published March 9, 2017

Makarfi and Sheriff

Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Ahmed Makarfi is angry with Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State for submitting the report of the PDP reconciliation team to the National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff in Abuja without consulting stakeholders. Dickson who is the chairman of the reconciliation committee on Tuesday submitted the report of his committee to Modu-Sheriff.
Makarfi’s anger at Dickson stemmed from the publicity given the governor’s presentation of his committee’s report Sheriff on Tuesday.
Among others, the report contains recommendations for the conduct of a national convention, tentatively fixed for June 30.
In a statement on Wednesday, Makarfi faulted the Bayelsa governor for making the report public without consultation with stakeholders.
According to him, the governor spurned advice to circulate the report and consult widely with key organs and stakeholders, adding that the report was still subject to review and amendment.
Makarfi said Dickson presented him with a draft of the report and that he had advised the governor to ensure proper consultation and effect some changes before making it public.
“I am shocked and disappointed that the Governor of Bayelsa made a public presentation of a purported report approved or endorsed by us and other stakeholders as reported.
“He met me yesterday (Tuesday) and I pointed out the problems with his proposals, that it will go against even the Court of Appeal Judgement.
“At the end, I told him as Caretaker Committee, whatever is approved by the organs of the party that we represent, we will work with and I advised him to revert back to his colleagues and other organs. But this is what we are seeing.
“Be that as it may, the Committee never saw any draft report even though he promised coming with it. In any case, as personal advice, I referred him back to the organs of the party and the Goodluck Jonathan Committee. There was nothing before us from organs of the party to accept or reject.”
The report conceded to Sheriff powers to preside over the proposed convention and to select 12 members into the Convention Planning Committee, in consultation with party stakeholders.
Among those listed as members of the Convention Planning Committee are seven governors, seven senators, 12 members of the House of Reps, six members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and six national vice chairmen.
Others are 18 zonal chairmen, six speakers of state assemblies; six former governors, former presiding officers of the National Assembly, six prominent women leaders, six youth leaders and six former ministers.
Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose also disagreed with Governor Dickson, insisting that he and his state’s chapter had nothing to do with Sheriff.
He said he believed that the Supreme Court would break the ice of the leadership crisis, after which “we will know what to do”
He spoke at the International Women Day event in Ado-Ekiti.
Chairman of the Senate caucus of PDP, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, told reporters after a meeting of the caucus, that Sheriff extended a letter, dated March 6 to the caucus for a meeting, but that his caucus turned down the invitation.
He said the caucus would continue to push for an out of court settlement regarding the leadership tussle.