Following the Supreme Court verdict recognising Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic head of the Peoples Democratic Party, on Wednesday July 12, some leaders of the opposition party now preach peace and reconciliation to enable the party do its job and win back power from the governing All Progressives Congress in 2019  

|  By Olu Ojewale  |  Jul 12, 2017 @ 17:25 GMT  |

FOR the period it lasted it was a fight of the titans. The two factions of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, held firmly to their respective positions claiming rightful leadership of the party. Mercifully, the Supreme Court on Wednesday, July 12, put the matter to rest, at least from legal wrangling, when it declared that Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic chairman of the party.

A five-man Supreme Court panel led by Justice Walter Onnoghen, in its judgment upturned the judgement of an appellate court that validated Ali Modu Sheriff, a former governor of Borno State as the substantive national chairman of the party.

In the unanimous judgement read by Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, the court reinstated Makearfi, a former Kaduna State governor, earlier sacked by the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal, as the national leader of the caretaker committee of the party. The court held that the May 21, 2016, convention of the PDP which removed Sheriff was legally constituted and acted within the bounds of 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,” Justice Rhodes-Vivour said.

Besides, he said: “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.’’

The court also ruled that the appointment of Makarfi-led caretaker committee was in line with the constitution of the party.

“The caretaker committee of the PDP led by Sen. 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 Feb.27 is hereby set aside,’’ Justice Rhodes-Vivour said.

The court also awarded N250,000 cost against Sheriff.

The court verdict sent some loyalists and prominent members of the PDP into wild excitement as they celebrated the victory of the Makarfi-led faction at the vicinity of the Supreme Court with songs, dances and embraces.

Nevertheless, some leaders of the party being mindful of the general implications of what could possibly happen to the party, if care is not taken, would rather take it with equanimity.

Reacting, Ike Ekweremadu, deputy president of the Senate, said the Supreme Court judgment had ushered in a new dawn of peace, reconciliation, and recovery for the party.

According to Ekweremadu the apex court’s verdict is a no victor and no vanquished situation for individual party members, but rather a collective victory for the entire party faithful and the nation’s democracy.

Understandably, he sees the judgement as paving the way for the PDP to take its rightful place as opposition.  He said: “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.

“The ruling party has indeed profited from the prolonged power contest, not just in terms of defections, but also in the unchallenged degeneration of democratic values, rule of law, electoral practice, and the economy because the PDP has been too distracted to keep them on their toes.”

Consequently, Ekweremadu called on the party faithful, including those that have left, to return to the big political family.

Besides, he called the party leadership and elders “to immediately initiate an all-inclusive peace, reconciliation, and rebuilding process 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.”

Holding a similar view, Olisa Metuh, a former publicity secretary of the PDP, the verdict of the Supreme Court, for him, was a no victor, no vanquished. While congratulating all members of the party especially those elected into public offices for their patience, commitment, dedication and loyalty to the party in spite of all odds, Metuh said it was time to come together to sustain Nigeria’s democracy.

He said: “The time, therefore, has come for us to rekindle the light; to put the past behind us and reach out to our brothers and sisters; those who left before the general elections, those that left during the period of the challenges, and even those who are on the other side of the divide. We must open the big umbrella once again to accommodate all Nigerians seeking for true democracy.”

Besides, he said the party would need the assistance of former President Goodluck Jonathan in navigating the waters. “Indeed, his advice, goodwill, experience and democratic credentials are needed now, more than ever before, to help the party navigate through this very important period in its history,” Metuh said.

In the same vein, Ben Murray-Bruce, a senator representing Bayelsa East in the National Assembly, declared that the nightmare rocking the PDP was over. In a statement signed by the senator, he said:

“We are happy this nightmare is over. There is no victor no vanquished. This is also, not a time to gloat. I call on all sides to stretch out a hand of brotherhood to rebuild our great party. Peace is better than war and unity, better than division. This judgement is indeed a victory for democracy and together, the PDP can return to being a formidable alternative to the ruling government.”

But Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of Aviation and PDP chieftain, threw caution to the wind as he hailed the apex court’s verdict. He posted in his twitter handle, @realFFK: “Praise the Lord! God has given us victory at Supreme Court. PDP is back in the right hands. Shame on Ali Modu Sheriff! Congrats to PDP!”

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, who was at the Supreme Court for the judgement, described the court verdict as “victory for democracy and the entire people of Nigeria who are suffering from the All Progressives Congress (APC) misrule,” adding that: “with today’s judgment, the PDP can now play its role as opposition party and prepare to take over power in 2019.”

Wrestling power from the APC may the ultimate of the PDP as it breaths a sign of relief. But it would be fool-hardy for the party that it would be a smooth sailing.

Indeed, the long-drawn battle which started in May last year was suspected to have sponsored by the governing APC to destabilise and kill the opposition PDP. Credence was given to that assertion because Sheriff joined the PDP from the APC.

That notwithstanding, since the leadership conflict started, there has not been any serious opposition to tackle the Muhammadu Buhari administration on many of its perceived failings.

Until press time, there was no reaction from the Sheriff’s camp or any of his supporters.

In any case, it is now up to the leadership and members of the PDP to seize the opportunity of the new dawn to put its house in order. That, according to some observers would depend, on whether the party is ready to manage its destiny very well ahead of next general elections in 2019.