PDP Peace Pact Collapses As Sheriff And Makarfi Engage In Verbal Altercation

Few days after reaching an understanding to bury their differences, the two factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have renewed hostilities.

The cause of the latest crisis is the decision of Ali Modu Sheriff, national chairman of the party, to replace staff of the PDP secretariat who were not cooperating with him.

Sheriff had declared their jobs vacant, and gave them a seven-day ultimatum to return the property of the party in their possession.

But Ahmed Makarfi caretaker committee asked the old staff to ignore Sheriff’s threat.

“His threat against our hard working staff should therefore be ignored and treated with utmost contempt coming from a lawless impostor”, said Dayo Adeyeye, the publicity secretary, who responded on behalf of the Makarfi group, said in a statement.

On Thursday, Sheriff and Makarfi signed an undertaking with the PDP national reconciliation committee, led by Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa state, to cease fire.

They both pledged​ to work together for the restoration of genuine peace to the party.

But on Sunday, Sheriff described Makarfi committee as illegal, saying with the pronouncement of the court of appeal in Port Harcourt, on February 17, “such a group is not supposed to be in existence”.

He appealed to the media not to refer to Makarfi group as a faction of the PDP, and insisted that the group was illegal.

Sheriff also warned Makarfi and his group to stop interfering in the affairs of the party.

“Makarfi should behave himself. He should not interfere in our business, because we are not interested in his private business,” Sheriff said in a statement issued on his behalf by Cairo Ojuogboh, his deputy.

“Any further careless statement from him will force us to reconsider our earlier peace agreement.

Edited from The Cable