By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party’s Peace and Reconciliation Committee, Governor Seriake Dickson, has asked leaders of the party to accept the Appeal Court’s verdict recognising Senator Ali Modu Sherrif as the party’s national chairman and move on to build the party or risk losing everything to self-inflicted crisis now rocking it.

Dickson, who has also submitted a template for resolving the PDP crisis to Ali Modu Sheriff, told journalists in Abuja at the weekend that the crisis rocking the party was fuelled by selfish desire to control the levers of the party ahead of the 2019 elections, warning that the interest of the party should be placed above selfish ambitions.

The governor, who had been attacked by the Makarfi faction for daring to turn in his report to Sheriff, pointed out that it would be wrong for his committee not to abide by the verdict of the Court of Appeal which recognised Sheriff as chairman of the party.

Dickson pointed out that though he was not a supporter of Sheriff, he was compelled by the rule of law to accept him as the national chairman based on the court order and in the overall interest of the PDP.

The governor said it was appalling for many leaders in the party who claimed to be democrats, to treat the court verdict recognising Sheriff as the national chairman of the PDP with disdain, pointing out that such disposition would lead to the collapse of the party, if not checked.

Dickson said: “All these characters who are now blackmailing Sheriff and opposing him as the national chairman of the PDP are the very people who went to Port Harcourt twice to elect Sheriff and I stayed away.”

“But now, as you know, the Court of Appeal has given judgment to Sheriff declaring him as the national chairman of the party. For me, that presents another opportunity to attempt an amicable political resolution of the issues so that the party can move forward.”

“But we have to respect the judiciary. As democrats and as politicians, who derive our legitimacy from our constitution. Our first duty is to respect the laws and the institutions of democracy.”

”The verdict of the Court of Appeal which proclaims Sheriff as the national chairman of the party means that whether we like it or not, in the eyes of the law and in fact from that day of pronouncement, Makarfi and his caretaker team cease to have legal authority to conduct PDP business any more.”

“Whether we like it or not, from that day, Sheriff is the only one that has the legitimacy to conduct the affairs of PDP in Nigeria.”

“As we speak, since the day the judgment was given, Sheriff has been acting; not only is he at the national secretariat of PDP, he is also the one choosing and sending names of candidates in states that are doing elections to INEC.”

“In fact, if there were to be a by-election in Kaduna today, where Makarfi comes from, Makarfi would not be in a position to send a name for INEC to accept.”

“That is the political reality that everybody in the PDP needs to accept, whether you like Sheriff’s face or not. I don’t also support Sheriff on what he has done but I acknowledge that reality.”

Dickson said it was dicey for the leaders to put their hope on the Supreme Court to remove Sheriff first before they could resolve the crisis in the party and work for its success in 2019, fearing that PDP could be decimated if the apex court confirmed the ruling of the Appeal Court affirming Sheriff as the national chairman of the party.