Jonathan, Bode George, Wike, Babatope, others: Supreme Court verdict, beginning of new journey for PDP

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described Senator Ahmed Makarfi’s victory on Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership tussle at the Supreme Court on Wednesday as verdict that would bring PDP together.
Jonathan stated this on Wednesday on his tweeter handle in his reaction to the court judgment on the party’s leadership crisis.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld an appeal filed by the Ahmed Markafi’s faction, challenging the affirmation of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as PDP National Chairman.
The Makarfi-led caretaker committee of the party had on March 16, filed the appeal against Sheriff’s position.
The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt on February 27 declared Sheriff as the legitimate national chairman of the party.
However, in its judgement, Justice Bode Rhodes Vivour held that the appeal had merit.
The presiding Justice further held that the National Convention of the party held on May 21, 2016 was validly convened in line with the party’s constitution.
“Sets of documentary evidence before the court have shown that Sheriff’s appointment as acting chairman of the party ended with the resolution from the convention.
“The National Conventions of Political Parties are the supreme organs which control every other organs of the party.
“In the light of this, the highest organ of the party did not breach any laws by dissolving the national executive committee headed by Sheriff at that convention,’’ he said.
According to the court, the appointment of Makarfi-led caretaker committee is in line with the constitution of the party.
“The caretaker committee of the PDP led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi is hereby affirmed as the authentic national leadership of the party.
“The judgment of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division delivered on February 27 is hereby set aside,’’ he held.
The panel also awarded N250,000 cost against Sheriff.
Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State and former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, attended the session.
Many party faithful and chieftains including Makarfi, Senator Ben Obi, Chief Bode George, Chief Dayo Adeyeye, Prof. Jerry Gana, among others, were also present in court.
Jonathan, who commended the Supreme Court judgement, said: “I thank God for this day of justice and may God bless Nigeria.
“I believe in our jurists. We may have issues with some individuals but the Nigerian judiciary deserves respect and commendation.
“Today’s verdict is a judgement where there are no winners or losers. It is a verdict that will bring our party together.’’
He congratulated the Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee, adding that “I strongly urge them not to see this as victory for a section of the party but as moral victory for constitutionality over arbitrariness.
“Thus, they must take inspiration from Gen. Yakubu Gowon and declare a ‘no victor and no vanquished policy’.
“I hereby call on all those who left the party because of leadership issues to return to their natural home and build the PDP.’’
He added that the PDP was an inclusive vehicle, not an exclusive one, saying “we
see Nigerians as human beings deserving of the rule of law, separation of power and free
market economy that provides level playing ground for all.
“The party that gave Nigeria the largest economy in Africa is a party with large heart enough to find a place for all Nigerians.”
In his reaction, Makarfi said the committee was opened to reconciliation that would strengthen the party.
Makarfi gave the assurance while addressing members and supporters of the party after the Supreme Court judgment on the party’s leadership crisis delivered in favour of the committee on Wednesday.
He described the judgment as “no victor, no vanquished’’ and said, “we must be open to reconciliation, but there’s a caveat.
“Reconciliation does not mean we take what belongs to people and give it to you. It must be based on equity, equality and values.
“With this caveat, we should be prepared and willing to reconcile with everybody.
“Anybody that can meet these criteria, we should be willing and open to reconciliation with such a person, no matter who they are.”
He urged Sheriff and his group to join hand with him to move the PDP forward.
Makarfi also called on members of the party not to discriminate among members who belonged to different factions before the court’s judgment.
“We should continue as friends, knowing that there are things we can do together; there may be things we may not be able to do together.
“We are willing to do everything on the foundation that I had mentioned.
“I urge them to come forward, join hands with us and let’s see how we can move PDP forward,’’ he said.
Makarfi commended PDP members and the judiciary for the fair judgement, saying PDP never lost faith in the judiciary.
“This victory is not just for PDP, it’s for democracy. This affirms the powers of political parties, the powers of convention of all political parties.
“The battle we fought was not a battle for PDP alone. It was a battle for democracy; it was a battle for supremacy of party men and women to decide their destiny.
“It is a battle to do away with dictatorship in political parties and this will never repeat itself,” he said.
He promised that the committee within the next few days would begin consultation and come up with a programme of meetings between it and expanded PDP caucus.
“These meetings will include Expanded Caucus, Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee so that we can take far-reaching decisions on how to take the party forward.”
Wike said the verdict was a victory for democracy.
Wike made the assertion in a statement in Port Harcourt by his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Mr Simeon Nwakaudu.
He said that with the Supreme Court judgement in favour of PDP over the lingering leadership tussle in the party, Nigeria now had a viable opposition in the polity.
“I am very happy, Rivers people are very happy because we have no other party aside the PDP,” the governor said.
He stressed that the party would emerge from its crisis stronger because all the stakeholders would work hard to rebuild it.
Wike called on Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff and his supporters to keep their word and work with other stakeholders in the interest of the party.
He said that the former PDP Chairman had called him to assure him that he would respect whatever decision was reached by the Supreme Court.
“I urge them to keep their word; all of us will work together to re-position the party; the party will go back to the drawing board to move ahead.
“I don’t see any reason why Sheriff will not be a part of the party; he spoke to me last week that whatever the situation, he will remain in the party,” Wike said.
The governor noted that Makarfi would meet with all the stakeholders to plan a time table for a national convention.
He congratulated party members for the victory at the Supreme Court, and called on them to build bridges of friendship to further strengthen the party.
On his part, Fayose said that the court verdict had placed PDP on good stand to return to power in 2019.
Fayose said that PDP would make maximum use of the judgment to reposition the party, adding that the forum would not fight Sheriff and his loyalists.
“We will not fight them. We should just come back together so that we can celebrate 2019 together.”
He assured the Makarfi-led leadership of corporation of the governors, saying “where we need to speak we will speak, where we need to spend money we will spend.”
Also speaking, the Deputy President of Senate, Mr Ike Ekweremadu, described the judgement as a collective victory for the entire party faithful and the nation’s democracy.
“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,” Ekweremadu said.
He called on PDP leadership and elders to immediately initiate an all-inclusive peace, reconciliation and rebuilding process in the party.
The lawmaker said that it was important 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”.
PDP chieftain, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, urged party members to close ranks and unite following the Supreme Court judgement.
Babatope said in Lagos that the judgement was a victory to justice and all members of the party.
“Today, I am a very happy man. Today, I am a proud PDP member. I am very happy at the judgment.
“I want to commend the Supreme Court for living up to the expectation as the last hope of Nigerians in this case.
“I also want to congratulate all members of the PDP for the victory on this day.
“I urge people in the Ali Modu camp to join hands with the other members so that the party would wax stronger,” Babatope said.
The PDP chieftain said he was particularly glad the dispute had been resolved at last and that the development was good for the party’s preparations for the 2019 elections.
Babatope equally expressed joy at the victory of the party in the Senatorial bye election in Osun on Saturday.
“PDP is staging a big comeback. The Osun Senatorial election is one big proof.
“We won because we deserved to win. We presented the right candidate in the person of Ademola Adeleke and also because we are still a popular party.
In its reaction, the Lagos State chapter of the PDP, said the judgement was not only a victory for the party but for the stability of the polity.
“The judgment, for us goes beyond intra-party politics, but actually a successful surgery on the political stability of Nigeria which had been volatile before now,” the Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Mr Taofik Gani, said in a statement.
He said the judgement was particularly gladdening as it would now enable the party to show that it was a viable alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Gani said it was never too late for members who left the party in the trying period to return, especially those who won elections on its platform.
“We shall welcome them and forge ahead together if they are found suitable to be associated with,” he said.
Mr Jimi Agbaje, the party’s governorship candidate in Lagos State in the 2015 elections, said in his reaction that the party must remain strong and united.
“With the delivery of the Supreme Court judgement, it is now time to put our house in order.
“There is no winner, no vanquished. For the love of democracy, PDP must remain united and strong,” he said.
PDP members in the House of Representatives expressed satisfaction over the judgment, describing it as beginning of new journey for PDP.
Rep. Timothy Golo (Plateau-PDP), expressed satisfaction with the judgement.
He said “I am very happy over the Supreme Court judgment; it tells you that democracy is on course and that the issues at stake are still the issues in place.
“There were issues that were advanced by both parties; we were to do our national convention then, suddenly this decision came up, and some body took the party to court.
“The caretaker committee was to conduct election and round up the entire process of putting an executive committee in place. We would have gone far but the judgment delayed the conclusion.
“I am glad, this is what I was expecting, this is what the people were expecting because the opposition will resume its rightful place in the process of governance.”
Also, Rep. Henry Nwawuba (Imo-PDP), said: “I will like to state that I belong to the Makarfi-led PDP faction and I would always belong to Makarfi faction.
“I don’t know what to say because I am over-joyed; Nigerians are over-joyed.
“I was at the court when all the five judges delivered unanimous judgment in favour of Makarfi, it was jubilation in a serene place like the court.
“Moving forward as party in opposition, all we need to do now is to ensure that everybody comes together.
“I think politics is now dynamic.
“PDP’s victory in Osun senatorial seat in an All Progressives Congress (APC) led state also shows that there is hope for the party.”
Earlier, House Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, had raised a point of order at Wednesday plenary, drawing attention of the lower Chamber to the apex court’s judgment.
The Oyo State chapter of the party appealed to all members, irrespective of factional affiliation, to unite and work toward the success of  the party in future elections.
Mr Ismaila Asipa, the Publicity Secretary of   the PDP in  the state, made the appeal on Wednesday in Ibadan.
Asipa  urged all PDP members to see the judgment as a victory for all.
He said that the law had spoken and everybody was bound to obey it, adding that what mattered  most was for both factions to unite for the progress of the party.
“I want to use this medium to call on all PDP members to come together and work for the party so that it  will excel in future elections.
“ The crisis has been put to rest, so all aggrieved members should come back to the fold of PDP and give support to the Makarfi-led executive,’’ he said.