Ali Modu Sheriff: Okupe says he is a big mistake for PDP

By Eromosele Ebhomele

Dr. Doyin Okupe, former Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, has come down hard on the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, describing the appointment of Ali Modu Sheriff as National Chairman of the party as one of the its biggest mistakes.

According to him, the PDP has become known for making grave mistakes that have earned the party nothing but losses.

He warned that Sheriff’s appointment could be the last mistake that would finally make the party extinct.

Sheriff, a former Borno State governor, was appointed earlier this week as the replacement for Adamu Mu’azu who resigned after a woeful performance at the 2015 general election.

“The capability of our party, the PDP and its leadership to make grave errors of judgement is legendary.

“What is intriguing is that even out of power that tendency seems unabating. Alhadji Ali Sheriff is a long standing political associate of mine and a very adroit and astute politician of perhaps a sublime class.

“But for the post of the National Chairman of the PDP, he is a wrong candidate and also coming in at a wrong time.

“According to many of his proponents, his strong point is that being a man of great financial resources, he will be favourably disposed to funding the activities of the party easily.

“But the antagonists believe that he is bringing along with his wealth a crushing weight of burden capable of fatally destroying the few strands of moral fibres on which a rejuvenation will depend on.

“For a morosed and severely prostrate political party,thanks to the overwhelming and effective propaganda machinery of the (opposition) party in power, this may yet be the mortal wound that may cause the eventual heamorrage of its long perplexed followership.

“The present crop of leadership of the PDP have not faired well. Impunity, presumptive reasoning, highly stratified and restrictive consultative processes, absolute lack of inclusiveness, mercantilism, group conceit with a resultant total disconnect with the main stakeholders and the followership are some of the florrid signs and symptoms of the terminal disease that is killing this erstwhile great party.

“Some of us have vowed not to leave the party. We still will not leave the party.

“Better still in spite of the present situation of things, we will continue to engage all who care to listen and deepen consultation across the country seeking help from everyone ready to help to revive this severely challenged sickened giant.

“But if it is the divine will of God that our present masters must kill PDP, then by the Grace of God we shall yet tarry at the graveside to bid it farewell,” he said on his Facebook wall.