Internal opposition mounts against Ali Modu Sheriff

The last has not been heard of the internal opposition to Ali Modu Sheriff's chairmanship of Africa's largest opposition party, PDP.
The latest thrust comes from former ministers who served under the party.


Former Ministers, who served during the various regimes of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from 1999  to 2015, have expressed disappointment with former President Goodluck Jonathan for supporting the candidacy of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as National Chairman of the PDP  in the face of the  opposition from majority of members.

At least, three of the former Ministers, who spoke  to Sunday Vanguard in an interview in Abuja, said  Jonathan’s support for Sheriff ‘ will not augur well for the PDP.

Since PDP  leaders, at its National Executive Committee  (NEC) meeting, endorsed the zoning of the party’s  chairmanship position to the North-East, there have been mounting opposition  as it was seen as a subtle way to retain senator Sheriff in his position.

In  an interview with Sunday Vanguard, one of the Ministers, who served under Jonathan, expressed disappointment that Jonathan ‘deliberately brought an outsider to kill our party”. The former Minister, who did not want to be named, explained: “How can the former president who is one of the greatest beneficiaries of the party bring in somebody that will kill the party? It is obvious that majority of our party members don’t  want Sheriff to continue as Chairman. So, as the leader of the party, what we expect from the former President is to provide the leadership and hold the party together. Instead, he has kept mute because he obviously supports Sheriff”.

Another former Minister who served under President Umaru Yar’Adua, said: “With what is happening, a final death knell has been sounded for the PDP.

“What is the rationale for zoning the position to the North-East if not because some people are desperate to ensure that Sheriff remains in office at all costs? In fact, making Sheriff the Chairman of the party is an insult to the entire North because the North should have been left to take their own decision. For keeping quiet when it matters most, President Jonathan has disappointed a lot of us. That is not how to provide leadership at this critical time”.

Source: Vanguard