Sheriff takes over PDP national secretariat

• Begs Fayose, Wike, others to cooperate with him

The police authorities on Thursday reopened the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff.

Sheriff, who was accompanied by some members of his National Working Committee (NWC) and a retinue of aides and supporters, arrived the secretariat at 6:00 p.m.

He made his way straight to his office but could not stay beyond 15 minutes, as thick dust had covered every piece of furniture in the building.

Addressing journalists in his dusty office, Sheriff said he only came to access the situation on ground, with the view to resuming work on Tuesday.

“We came to see what renovation and cleaning to be done. While that is going on, we would continue with our consultation. We will do everything humanly possible to ensure that nobody is victimised for holding different opinions,” Sheriff said.

He reiterated his resolve to take the party back to the people at the grassroots, adding that “it is not enough for some people to sit in Abuja here and say they want to choose party leaders for the people in the village.”

The secretariat was sealed off in June 2015, at the peak of a fierce leadership tussle between Sheriff and the Ahmed Makarfi -led National Caretaker Committee of the party.