PDP: Why we removed Sheriff – Wike …as Police occupy party headquarters in Abuja

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, yesterday, justified last Saturday's removal of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at the Port Harcourt convention, saying the party under the erstwhile leadership was headed towards the precipice.

Wike's justification of Sheriff's sack was welcomed by Prof. Jerry Gana, leader of the PDP Concerned Stakeholders, who pressed for the removal of the Sheriff-led executive of the party.

Speaking after the 2016 national convention, Wike said: 'All along, the crisis has been about the former acting chairman whose emergence was strongly opposed. This is destabilising the party and so we had to let him go. What is important is the party and not the individual. No sacrifice is too much for anyone to make as far as PDP is concerned.'

He noted that he had no personal interest in supporting Senator Modu Sheriff as he was the best option at the time he emerged.

He said PDP will continue to grow from strength to strength as it remained the only hope for the country.

Governor Wike said: 'We will not allow the PDP to die or suffer divisions under our watch. History  will never forgive us if we watch the party die.'

The governor said the party leaders would work towards maintaining unity among all members of the party.

He said despite the challenges, the 2016 national convention was successful as the party had been repositioned in the interest of the nation.

Meanwhile, Inspector general of Police, Solomon Arase has explained why scores of armed policemen occupied the Abuja headquarters of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

In a statement released by Force PRO, Kolawole Olabisi, the police said their action was meant to thwart the plan by a faction of the PDP to cause mayhem in the capital, by orchestrating street demonstrations, using political thugs and also attacking the Wadata House headquarters of the party.

The party, on Saturday, in Port Harcourt, had sacked all the party's executive and national working committee members and the chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.

In their place, it appointed a caretaker committee to steer its affairs until the party's next convention.

Here is the full police statement:
'Intelligence at the disposal of the Force leadership indicates that some aggrieved factional leaders and members of the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) have perfected plans to engage thugs from across the country to join them in threatening public peace and security in Abuja. This is sequel to the on-going intra-party leadership crisis in the party and further fallout of the recent political engagements of the Party.

'The plan of the brains behind this development is to infiltrate Abuja and attack the National Headquarters of the Peoples' Democratic Party with intent to forcefully occupy the facility. Towards perfecting this criminality, credible Police sources confirm that the actors will mobilise into Abuja with effect from Monday 23rd May 2016 and they intend to march through major streets in Abuja before proceeding to the PDP Secretariat to manifest their intention.

'Consequently, the Inspector-General of Police has directed the deployment of Police assets to secure the PDP Secretariat and protect the staff until the threat to internal security that is being occasioned by the intra-party crisis within the PDP is stabilised. The police action is a proactive initiative which is being emplaced in furtherance to the statutory Mandate of the Nigeria Police to prevent breakdown in law and order and protect lives and property.

' The Inspector General of Police, however, warns all actors in the crisis as well as their loyalists to refrain from any act that may threaten public order as the Police shall deal promptly, firmly and decisively with such persons or group in line with their legal obligations.'