"There is need to bring everybody back together," ex-military president

The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ali Modu Sheriff and former Niger state governor, Dr Babangida Aliyu have called on aggrieved members of the party to come back.

The duo made the call on Sunday when they visited the former military President Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida in Minna.

An appeal court in Port Harcourt last week recognised the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, while declaring the convention that established the Ahmed Makarfi’s caretaker committee as illegal.

Sheriff said that the court ruling was a victory for the Party and not him.

“My victory is a victory for PDP all over Nigeria. There is no loser; it is just a misunderstanding within a family.

“We are calling on everybody to come together so that the party can be a formidable one once again.

Babangida commended Sheriff for the manner he handled his victory at the Appeal court.

“I am very happy with your statement after the court ruling; it shows that there is room for reconciliation and unity.

“There is need to bring everybody back together to make the party a formidable opposition party, Babangida said.

On the purpose of his visit after two-hour meeting with Babangida, Sheriff said “IBB is our father’.

“IBB congratulated me and advised me to continue that way so that I can bring everybody back together to make the party a formidable opposition party.

“What we want to do now is how to put the party back to shape so that everyone that is aggrieved is brought back as one united family once again.

“This is because united will stand, divided will fall,’ he said.

On Ahmed Makarfi, leader of another PDP faction, Sheriff said he has extended his hand of fellowship to him.

“I have called Makarfi himself, and everybody to come back so that we can work together.

Similarly, Dr Babangida Aliyu, former Niger governor, said:

“Now that we have a legal decision supporting the position, we are okay. Though some people are talking of taking the matter the Supreme Court others are saying no.

“We should start widening the solution so that we don’t waste time in terms of legality.

“That is why for the moment, Ali Modu Sheriff is the Chairman of the Party until anybody is able to go higher to set aside this decision of the court. Those of us who love to see solution to this party will continue to find solution. I think we should all bury our ambitions; you can have an ambition without a platform.

“We need to have a platform first of all and we are in the opposition, and we need time to organise and reorganise and go back to the people with plausible real solution to their problems.

“If we don’t get these solutions, then what do we have?“I appeal to all PDP lovers and members to look at the issues objectively, we need to have a platform that we can call a party which can win elections and not a fragmented party.’’