.Supreme Court Verdict Alters Members Political Calculations Nationwide
By Baron Ike
Wednesday, July 12 ruling of the Supreme Court pronouncing former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Markafi as the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is fast altering the political calculations of members of the Party across the country.
The Supreme Court verdict brought about spontaneous jubilation in different parts of the country, particularly in areas where the PDP is in charge, just as reactions have flowed from chieftains of the party.
Most of those who spoke harped on the need for total reconciliation and integration of all members into the Party’s big umbrella.
Those who spoke on that line include the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha and the governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.
Armadanews.com investigation has shown that most of the PDP members who abandoned the Markafi-led group for the Ali Modu-Sherriff camp after the Court of Appeal ruled in the latter’s favourin February this year have started seeking in earnest, ways to worm their way back to the Markafi camp.
This is even as Markafi is said to have reached out to Sherriff almost immediately the apex court pronounced him chairman of the PDP to join him in providing the Party with the needed direction it needs to play effective opposition to the All Progressive Congress leadership and possibly take over power from them in 2019.
While the “war” between Markafi and Sherriff was raging, most PDP members for fear of the unknown jumped ship, some joining the APC, others exiting to go and form other political parties that have even been recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Sources close to the two PDP chieftain confided in Armadanews.com that Markafi had called Sherriff and that “they talking on the way forward for the party.” The source also said that part of what the Sherriff camp is demanding of the Markafi camp notwithstanding the verdict of the Supreme Court declaring him chairman is for them to negotiate positions in the spirit of “give and take.”
For example, the source made mention of certain chieftains of the PDP with stupendous wealth and connections in some states who were on the side of Sherriff and who, Markafi cannot afford to ignore if he wants to succeed.
Although the source said it is true that Sherriff made for himself a lot of enemies, he maintained that what is important now is no longer what he did wrong but “how to recover the PDP from lost ground and put it on the pedestal to win elections going forward.”
“Yes, he is unpopular in Borno State where he comes from for instance. Yes, he is not liked in the North East and other parts of the north. Yes, he tried to stop even his own group members from criticising the APC government making it look like he was working for them, yet, Markafi cannot ignore the caliber of people that surrounded Sherriff,” the source added.
Ekweremadu said the Supreme Court judgment on the PDP leadership crisis, ushers in a new dawn of peace, reconciliation, and recovery for the party.
Reacting to the apex court’s verdict on Wednesday, Ekweremadu said it was a no victor and no vanquished situation for individual party members, but rather a collective victory for the entire party faithful and the nation’s democracy.
Ekweremadu said: “I am happy that the Supreme Court has brought this protracted leadership tussle to an end today. There is no victor and there is no vanquished, but a collective victory for our party and the nation’s democracy. No democracy can prosper in the absence of a virile opposition or under the extreme hardship Nigerians have faced over the past two years. Citizens deserve a viable alternative.
“The ruling party has indeed profited from the prolonged power contest, not just in terms of defections, but also in the unchallenged degeneration of democratic values, rule of law, electoral practice, and the economy because the PDP has been too distracted to keep them on their toes.
“But, it is heartwarming that calm is returning after the storm. I salute millions of our party faithful and Nigerians who stood firm to weather the storm for their courage and loyalty, and sincerely appeal to those who left for one reason or the other to return to our big political family.
“Importantly, I call on our party leadership and elders to immediately initiate an all-inclusive peace, reconciliation, and rebuilding process to reunite everybody under the big umbrella and reinvigorate the biggest party in Africa to bounce back to the rescue of the suffering masses of Nigeria come 2019.”
Ihedioha, the PDP flagbearer in the 2015 governorship poll in Imo State, hailed the verdict and described the ruling as a victory and triumph for democracy.
His words: “This is a victory for and triumph of democracy. It is a celebration of the enthronement of light over forces of darkness. Long live Nigeria.”
Fayose, whom is also Chairman, PDP Governors Forum, described the Supreme Court judgment as “victory for democracy and the entire people of Nigeria, who are suffering from the All Progressives Congress (APC) misrule.”
But the Ekiti State governor, who reacted to the judgment in Abuja said, “With today’s judgment, PDP can now play its role as opposition party and prepare to take over power in 2019.”
According to his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose called on genuine members of the party to come together for its repositioning, repackaging and strengthening.
Fayose said: “The ultimate winner is democracy which cannot survive without a virile opposition and the entire people of Nigeria, who are already yearning for a return of the PDP, having been short-changed by the APC.”
He hailed the judiciary “for rising to the occasion at a time the ruling APC was almost succeeding in its plot to turn Nigeria to a one-party state.”
While congratulating all members and supporters of the PDP for standing firm with the party, Fayose promised that all leaders of the party would join hands to channel new and enduring course for the party and prepare it for the eventual take-over of power in 2019.
Also the newly registered political party, the Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA), through its national leader, Shittu Kabir Mohammed, congratulated the judiciary on what it described as “the landmark and historic judgement on the intra-political crisis within one of the oppositions parties in Nigeria.”
The Supreme Court had held that the May 21, 2016 national convention of the PDP in Port Harcourt, Rivers State rightly and constitutionally removed Sheriff as the party’s national chairman.
It maintained that the national convention acted rightly and not in breach of any aspect of the PDP’s constitution by setting up the Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee.
Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, who read the lead judgment held that contrary to the majority judgment of the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal, the suit filed by Makarfi faction before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt was not an abuse of court.
The lead judgment by Justice Rhodes-Vivour was unanimously agreed. Other members of the panel are, Justices Onnoghen, Tanko Muhammad, Kayode Ariwoola and Dattijo Muhammad.