I’ll not resign as PDP National Chairman – Sheriff

National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Modu Sheriff, yesterday insisted that he would not resign from office as suggested by his rival, Senator Ahmed Markafi.

Fielding questions from newsmen in Agbor, Delta State after a breakfast meeting with the National Deputy Chairman, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, he said he cannot be deceived by anybody.

His words: “I can’t resign. I want the PDP to be at peace, but the very man who is talking of resignation today, if I resign will it not be so that he can destroy the PDP? There is no aircraft without a Pilot. There is no ship without a Captain. Anybody who tells the Captain of a ship to go down wants the ship to capsize. We don’t want PDP to capsize. PDP will always get their leaders through a democratic electioneering process.

“Anybody or persons you see kicking against the party machinery are agents of distraction and destruction; they have an agenda which they are now letting Nigerians know. Their agenda is not to build, it is something different. This party belongs to us.

“I was in Imo. All I told my Deputy, Hon. Cairo Ejugbo was that I will have breakfast in his house in Agbor since it is on my way to Benin. Now look at the crowd of people here to have breakfast with us.

“Nobody forced anybody here, they came voluntarily because they believe in the PDP. They believe PDP is the only party they should belong to. When people go out; sent by others to destroy the party, gradually, their true colour will show and it is up to Nigerians to make up their minds who are the real people, who are the people who want PDP to grow and who are the people who want the party destroyed.

“You know even as we are standing here everybody has his own mind to do whatever he or she wishes. Political parties are voluntary. Majority of our party men around the country felt the need for us to come together to be reunited back to the ideals of 1999.

So we set up a National Executive Council, NEC to review our situation before the party went to the Port-Harcourt convention.

“It was the NEC of the party that set up the NWC. If it can set up committee under my leadership and if the NEC makes a recommendation to bring solution to our party, why should I reject it? And the working committee of my party totally accepted the road maps that Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, took. I am here to bring solution to the party’s problems. I am not here to destroy the party.”

On the anti party allegations levelled against him, Sheriff said; “Ali Modu Sheriff never brought himself to power. Governors and leaders of the party asked me to lead. So if there is any allegation as such it means those who invited me are the moles. It is certainly not me. I am doing my job to keep the party together”.

On 2019 election, he expressed hope that the party would bounce back, stressing that the party under his leadership would weed off the saboteurs one after the other.

He said, “We have the PDP structure in every ward and local government in Nigeria. Why the PDP lost the election to APC at the central in 2015 was because of the impunity that I am fighting today. I am working to cancel impunity from the party. We want the people’s choices to man the offices not the candidates brought by Ali Modu Sheriff.

“We must allow the party to have their way. Democracy is government of the people by the people and for the people and not somebody who want to plant a governor in Borno, in Lagos; No. Then it is no longer government of the people.”