State chairmen from 24 states chapters have pledged their loyalty to the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP while urging Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to explore the path of peace for the interest of the party. The chairmen gave their commitment on Monday, when they paid a solidarity visit to the Senator Makarfi-led caretaker committee in Abuja.

endorsement of the national caretaker committee came in a day that Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State called on Senator Sheriff and his group to tow the path of unity and come back to the mainstream of the party. Speaking on behalf of the chairmen today, Chairman of the party in the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Yunus Sulaiman said as field officers of the party in the various states, “we are not happy with what is happening in our party and have resolved to visit you to tell you that we need to find a solution to it”.

The chairmen called on Senator Sheriff to respect the decision of the party taken at the Port-Harcourt convention, the highest decision making organ of the party. In his reaction, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi expressed happiness with the solidarity visit of the state chairmen, noting that since seven states of the federation do not have a substantive executive, it was indication that the whole party structures are with the caretaker committee. While regretting as unfortunate, the crisis rocking the party, Senator Makarfi said that the fact that there is crisis in the party was an indication that the party is alive and people cherish it. “It is pleasing that the state chairmen met before now and have come to this resolution. We know that there are few states that congresses did not take place so that is why they are not here. It is unfortunate what we are going through but it is a good indication that PDP is alive and it is indicative that it’s a party people love and cherish” he said. Senator Makarfi however warned that allowing the crisis to linger further “have the potential to harm us and affecting our chances of regaining power. We are not put out to witch-hunt anybody.

Our key mandate is to bring everybody on board and organize a national convention. “The courts can make pronouncements even if it is in your Favour but if you don’t have people following you, who will you lead? The people put you forward and if they don’t want you, give way,” Makarfi noted. He said as leaders, the committee will encourage members of the party to visit other camps as long as it is in the interest of the party. “We did not prohibit the visit of brothers and sisters no matter their thinking at the moment. Loyalty is not to individuals but the party and in that course, anybody can go anywhere in the interest of peace.

 We call unity, sacrifice, accommodation, give and take. Under our leadership, we will provide these things. By the first week of July, we will do that” he said. Speaking on the forthcoming governorship election in Edo state, Senator Makarfi called on Sheriff not to do anything that will imperil the party’s chances in the elections. “I want to call on Sheriff and those associating with him to take the path of dialogue and not to do anything further that will cause PDP harm in Edo state. Validly, legally, no primary can be conducted in Edo again because of the window provided by the electoral Act. If his intention is not to cost us Edo election, there shouldn’t be any utterance on Edo election. What you cannot achieve through dialogue, you cannot achieve it the other way” he said.

Meanwhile, the governor of Ebonyi state, Dave Umahi has appealed to Senator Sheriff to eschew the path he is presently pursuing in the interest of the party. He spoke today, when he submitted the report of the panel on the Edo governorship primaries. Governor Umahi noted that whatever grievances Sheriff may have had against the party can be amicably resolved within the party.