Modu Sherrif As PDP National Chair: Why South East Senators Are Aggrieved

BY PAUL EJIMKONYE

ALI MODU SHERRIF

South East senators are said to have risen in unison against the appointment of former Governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sherrif as the national chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

A top party source told this newspaper that the senators from the South East are aggrieved because  Sherrif is “a wrong face for the PDP, a party  that wants to rebrand and win elections in 2019.

“The senators are aggrieved because the South East and the South- South is the foundation of the PDP. Sherrif cannot market PDP, especially in the region because of serious allegations hanging on his neck over terrorism” the party source said.
“They are opposed to the choice of sherrif because for a  party that wants to re-brand and take over power from the APC in 2019, Sherrif is not the rightful person that will manage the image  of the party.

“The South East is a PDP stronghold. We are not saying the national chairman should come from our region, but what do we tell in our people that our national chairman who  has a negative perception will lead the party to victory in the next elections. How do we explain it? He said

“This is a wrong decision and we are going to oppose it” he stated.

The senators from the region were said to have stormed out from a powerful stakeholders meeting which endorsed Sherrif as national Chairman of the party.

The South- South caucus of the PDP are said to have joined in opposing the choice of Sherrif

A national daily had reported  that most of the senators, mainly of PDP extraction were complaining over the choice of sherrif.

One of the senators told INNONEWS.COM that the senators will meet and take a common position and discuss extensively on the recent development in the party. He refused to comment further when prodded by this reporter to do so.

The position of the South East Senators is coming on the heels of an endorsement enjoyed by members of the National Working Committee (NWC), the party’s Board of Trustees, Chairmen of State chapters and a powerful bloc in the party- the camp of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Governors of the party in a move to hijack the party structure were behind the “installation of sherrif”

Sheriff took the oath of office and allegiance as new Chairman of the party around 8. 45pm on Tuesday in the presence of NEC members.

Sheriff was governor between 2003 and 2011 when the Boko Haram crisis gathered momentum and he had been accused of actually nurturing the sect.

He was a member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), one of legacy parties that fused into the APC, and left to join the PDP in July 2014.

He is expected to complete the tenure of the North-east, which was vacated by Adamu Mu’azu in May 2015.

This newspaper had reported that aside the crisis over the choice of a national chairman, the party is yet to deal with a group of some party members from the South East who are bent of floating a mega political party that will separate corrupt party members from the non corrupt