Supreme Court Judgement on PDP Leadership Tussle Will Strengthen Democracy- Dan Orbih

By Lucky Isibor

The  Edo State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih has lauded the judgment of the Supreme Court which affirmed that the former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi is the authentic National Chairman of the party.

He told news men in a telephone interview Wednesday, 12 July, that the judgment would strengthen the country’s democracy and prepare for the general election of 2019 “The judgement has put the party in a position where they will be putting strategies in place to be able to give Nigerians the platform to effect a change come 2019. With this judgment, all is set to flush out APC from the Central Government and bring a government that will meet the yearnings of Nigerians who are desirous for a change haven witnessed two years of hardship and unprecedented failure in government under the APC. In-fact the judgement is victory for democracy in Nigeria, the judgment will sustain democracy and the judgment will bring about a change in 2019”

On what his party would do to bring back aggrieved members in the state who pitched their tent with the Alli Modu Sheriff’s faction of the party, Orbih said “The umbrella is big enough to accommodate everybody, those who are genuinely interested in the progress of the party are welcome to come and join us in ensuring victory of the party in the 2019 election”.

Reacting to the judgment, a PDP chieftain in Edo state, Owere Dickson Imasogie said he expected it will go the way of Makarfi given the apex court’s pronouncements in the Ondo state PDP governorship nomination tussle where the learned Justices described Sheriff as a busy body.

Imasogie appealed to PDP leaders to integrate members of the Ali Modu Sheriff’s faction into the party to give them the opportunity to prove wether they were being used by members of the ruling party or not, noting that that’s  also the position of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Am appealing to the party to bring Sheriff’s group close to confirm our fear that they were being used. Am happy former President Goodluck Jonathan is also having this impression”, he said.

Also reacting to the Supreme Court judgement, a legal practitioner and senior legislative aide to Senator Clifford Ordia, the Senator representing Edo Central Senatorial District, Barrister Osehimime Osemede, commended the apex court for the courage in making the pronouncements on the crisis which he said was capable of destroying the party.

While describing Ali Modu Sheriff and his group as people who were on a phony mission to destroy the  party, Osemede appealed to all PDP faithful to come together now to build a strong opposition to the ruling party with the hope of defeating them in the 2019 election.

“The issue alone had the capacity to destroy the party, because it was very clear that Sheriff was on a phony mission to destroy the party.

“However, now that the Supreme Court has made it’s pronouncement confirming Makarfi as  authentic chairman, it is expected that everyone must now come together to build a strong opposition to the present administration with the hope of taking over the administration of Nigeria in 2019,” Osemede said.

The Supreme Court had on Wednesday, 12 July in a well considered judgement affirmed that Ahmed Makarfi is the authentic national chairman of the nation’s largest opposition party, the PDP. The Judgement laid to rest the over fourteen months leadership crisis rocking the party.