Indications have emerged that factional chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Ali Modu Sheriff may not follow through fully with the reconciliation process spearheaded by the Board of Trustees (BoT).
Sources within Sheriff's camp told LEADERSHIP Weekend that Sheriff has remained skeptical of the ongoing peace process against the backdrop of a conflict of confidence with the governors.
One of the sources, who pleaded anonymity, stressed that the treatment meted to Sen Buruji Kashamu at a meeting of the PDP South West in Akure, Ondo State sent signals within the camp of the embattled factional chairman of an ulterior motive in the offing.
Kashamu, who had declared support for the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led national working committee, stormed out of the meeting of party leaders from the South West in protest against the refusal of Makanjuola Ogundipe led faction zonal executive from gaining access to the meeting.
The source also noted that "Sheriff would not want to be blindsided. We will not withdraw our cases against the forthcoming convention just yet until we are sure that our other brothers are ready to abide by their side of the bargain."
While over 15 court cases are pending over the party's leadership tussle, Sheriff's motion to stop the national convention will be heard on August 15 at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
But governors of Gombe and Taraba States, Ibrahim Dankwambo and Ishyaku Darius have pleaded with party members to be ready to make sacrifices for the party.
The governors, while speaking at the meeting of North East caucus in Abuja over the zoning of offices allotted to the political region, called on leaders of the party to shift grounds in their positions stressing "this is the time to make sacrifices in the interest of the party".
Sheriff, in the last 48 hours, have come under pressure by members of the party's BoT, it's governors and the National Assembly caucus of the party to soft pedal on his conditions and allow the convention hold.
The embittered factional chairman had given stringent conditions upon which he would agree to a withdraw his cases when a reconciliation committee set up by the party's BoT to intervene in the leadership crisis visited him.
Some of Sheriff's conditions were for a fresh convention to be convened and held in Abuja instead of Portharcourt. He also demanded the removal of governor Nyesom Wike as the chairman of the convention committee as well as the dissolution of the caretaker committee.
However, the reconciliation committee led by Prof Jerry Gana, after meeting with some stakeholders in the party, presented a new set of new proposals to Sheriff.
The proposal, which was said to have been endorsed by the Makarfi committee and the governors was presented to Sheriff on Thursday Night at a meeting which had governors of Rivers and Ekiti states in attendance.
While the details was not made available to newsmen,
it was learnt that Sheriff, after the presentation, insisted that he should be allowed to produce the secretary of the party. He also maintained that the convention scheduled for Portharcourt should be moved to Abuja while he and Makarfi would preside over the convention.
It was learnt that Prof Gana took the proposal made by Sheriff to the BoT, preparatory to scheduled to meeting between the factional chairman and governors from his zone.
Another source however told Leadership Weekend that the committee may have acceded to Sheriff's request to include some of his men in a reconstituted convention planing committee as well as for the party to allow Sheriff co-chair the national convention.
Meanwhile, at the meeting of PDP North East Zonal Caucus in Abuja, the Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo said that this is the best time to sacrifice for the party.
He said "in the past, so many things have remained issues of great concern. Now is the time to make make sacrifice for all of us on old or new things that come our ways as a duty to the party. Everybody is weeping and crying at the same time.
"If anybody expect any other person to call him on his wing we may not get to our destination, because the wing may not be too strong.It is the wing of sacrifice that is strong enough to take us to the right destination," Dankwambo said.
The governor further charged PDP leaders and members from the North East Zone to be careful in reaching a decision on national offices of the party zoned to the zone.
"We must avoid decision that will further divide our members or bring more problems to our party.We should respect the views of our stakeholders and take a decision that will unite us," Dankwambo said.
But Sheriff while addressing the Yobe delegation yesterday in his office, said he would not sacrifice his integrity, political interest and his followers as part of the ongoing peace deal.
He further vowed that no fresh congresses will be conducted in those states where it has taken palce during his tenure.
"Members of the BoT are coming to see me, even last night they came to meet me at my place and the governor are also meeting with me but that does not mean that we are going to agree on anything that will affect our integrity, followership and our political interests.
"I heard someone talking about the congress in Yobe, and I must say that as far as I am concerned the congress has been held no one can reverse it. It is not even an issue to negotiate. The only four states that the NEC of our party approved that fresh congresses be conducted in only five states, short of that is a waste of time.
"As some of you rightly said, some of them were ashamed to Identify with the party. Now the PDP has become a strong party, everybody is looking upon to PDP and we will not be distracted. This is a Party, as I rightly said must be returned back to the owners. Anything short of that is a none- starter," he said.
According to Sheriff the only states where Sheriff said he would accept a fresh congress are Oyo, Lagos, Anambra, Kebbi and Sokoto. He said that the National Executive Committee had approved the cancellation of the congresses held in those states.
"You know some people grow, and they still want to believe that we are in the 19 century. Time changes. Life itself, you have the time that you grow. It is natural for you to grow and allow others to grow. The wish of every father is for his sons to grow better than him. Not when you have failed and you want your own children to fail again. It cannot work.
"It cannot work. Be rest assured that you will be protected fully. All the congresses in Nigeria, I have presented to NEC which has endorsed it. Yobe is not among the ststes we said primaries would be re-conducted."