Kokoroyo Martins
Asaba
Peoples Democratic Party’s factions of Senators Ali-Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi are flexing muscles in Asaba, the Delta State capital over who controls the party in the South-South state.
Members of the faction loyal to Sheriff were chased out from the proposed venue of their stakeholders’ meeting in Asaba, thereby disrupting Sheriff’s one-day working visit to the state.
Freedom online recalled that the two Senators have been on each other’s throat over the national chairmanship position of the party since last year with each laying claim to one court judgement and the other.
Before the arrival of Sheriff in Asaba, thugs, allegedly loyal to Makarfi, which Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is a full financier of, took over the Asaba venue of the stakeholders meeting, threatening to cause mayhem.
The meeting immediately relocated to Agbor, Ika South the hometown of Governor Okowa, where Sheriff told a mammoth crowd of supporters that he remains the undisputed chairman of the party.
He said: “We are not surprised they disrupted the meeting in Asaba. Somebody somewhere saw the intimidating crowd of supporters and decided to cause trouble. But we have toed the part of peace by being here (Agbor).
“Any other chairman is a counterfeit, a carbon-copy, a photocopy. I was eating and drinking in the comfort of home when the elders and the leaders of the party from across the country came to beg me to take the mantle of leadership of the party.
“They later found out that I was not a chairman they can control or push around. They know I will not accept elections handouts from anybody, hence they made a u-turn.”
Sheriff, flanked by his South-South Zonal Chairman, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, his state chairman, Chief Austin Ogbaburon (High-Tension), the wife of the former national chairman of the party, Mrs. Marian Nneamaka Ali, a serving House of Representatives member for Ehor-Ikpoba-Okha, Hon. E. J. Agbonyima and a host of others, said he would abide by the decision of the judiciary on the contentious position.
At a minute prayer session he led his supporters into, Sheriff who said nobody is wishing President Muhammadu Buhari dead, said “regardless of our political differences, we should still find time to pray for his quick recovery.”
A vote of confidence was, thereafter, passed on his chairmanship style and those of Nneamaka Ali and Ojougboh in Delta State and entire South-South region.
On February 17, the Court of Appeal will decide who between Sheriff and Makarfi is the authentic chairman of the party.
