Supreme Court Jugdment: No Victor, No Vanquished, it is a family quarrel, PDP Senate Caucus

Byy Henry Umoru

ABUJA- THE Senate caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court which finally ended the crisis bedeveiling the Party by declaring the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party, Senator Ahmed Markafi as the substantive chairman of the opposition political party. 

At the Chambers , Plenary could not start early following the Supreme Court  ruling against the backdrop that Senators from PDP extraction could not hold back their excitement and joy as they moved round the chamber to congratulate one another. 

For over twenty minutes, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, APC, Osun Central could not control them for plenary session to commence for the day as he continually called on names of PDP Senators to seat down for Senate President Bukola Saraki to preside. 

At the end of the day, plenary session commenced at 11am instead of the traditional 10am. Soon after the commencement, the PDP Senators walked out of plenary to hearing room one, Senate White House to celebrate the Supreme Court Verdict. 

The PDP Senators who were  led by Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, broke out of the plenary at the news of the Supreme Court judgment which sacked former Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and confirmed Ahmed Markafi as the authentic Chairman of the party. They later addressed Journalists. After the briefing, the PDP senators went back to the chamber to join their APC colleagues. 

Addressing Jounalists, Senator Akpabio who described the judgment as monumental, said that it was a no victor, no vanquishes situation against the backdrop that it was a family fight, just as he said that the PDP holds out the olive branch to Modu Sheriff and all other aggrieved members of the party, adding that the blood remains the same. 

Akpabio who noted that nobody would be penalized, said, “A monumental event has happened in our dear country that event is the fact that the seemingly, intractable problem of the tussle of the chairmanship of the PD has been settled by the Supreme court and that was settled in favour of all Nigerians and all PDP faithful in Nigeria and all APC members who love democracy. 

“We were worried and eager to have a vibrant alternative so that in future they could join the change the change. The caucus is very delighted with has occurred. It was not unexpected in view of the fact that we believe strongly that the Supreme Court is a court of justice and that God is a God of justice and that justice was going to prevail. 

“But on our part we do not want to lose any member and so we are describing that victory as no victor no vanquish. It was a family quarrel and therefore the blood remain the same, the blood of the PDP remains is in the veins of both sides and therefore we are saying today the decision of the Supreme Court, we must come back together as a family and we have indeed come back together as a family. 

“We are calling on all those who went on exile in the course of the struggle, in the course of the seeming problem of the chairmanship to return home, the doors are open, nobody will be penalised whether you were a member of the State House of Assembly, or House of Representatives or whether you are a senator. We are very prepared to receive our brothers back and we believe that some of them went on exile because there were problems in the house, now that the problem has been totally settled and the PDP has come back as a very strong alternative and a very viable one for that matter, that they should come back from exile.”

Also in his remarks, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who described it as a great day for PDP, however saluted the courage of judiciary for reaching the verdict, even as he extended the olive branch to Ali Modu Sheriff and his supporters to embrace peace and come to the party.

Ekweremadu who also described the Supreme Court judgment as that which ushers in a new dawn of peace, reconciliation, and recovery for the party, said that it was a no victor and no vanquished situation for individual party members, but rather a collective victory for the entire party faithful and the nation’s democracy.

Ekweremadu said: “it is a great day for the party. This victory again for our democracy, there is no victor and no vanquished, we must come together as a party. Let me congratulate our supporters for their patience. So as we come together, I believe we must all pursue, we must all overtake and we must all recover. I salute the judiciary for their courage. It is a collective victory for our party and the nation’s democracy. No democracy can prosper in the absence of a virile opposition or under the extreme hardship Nigerians have faced over the past two years. Citizens deserve a viable alternative.

“The ruling party has indeed profited from the prolonged power contest, not just in terms of defections, but also in the unchallenged degeneration of democratic values, rule of law, electoral practice, and the economy because the PDP has been too distracted to keep them on their toes.

“But, it is heartwarming that calm is returning after the storm. I salute millions of our party faithful and Nigerians who stood firm to weather the storm for their courage and loyalty, and sincerely appeal to those who left for one reason or the other to return to our big political family.

“Importantly, I call on our party leadership and elders to immediately initiate an all-inclusive peace, reconciliation, and rebuilding process to reunite everybody under the big umbrella and reinvigorate the biggest party in Africa to bounce back to the rescue of the suffering masses of Nigeria come 2019”.

Also speaking, the  longest serving senator in Nigeria and former Senate President, Senator David Mark, the Supreme Court verdict was not just a victory for PDP, but victory for democracy, even as he said that the change the change has now truly commenced, adding, ” I join all of us to celebrate this judgement. It is not victory for PDP alone but victory for democracy and victory for all of us. We should not have gone this length in the first instance. That has happened. I hope and pray that we have learnt some lessons and never allow a family dispute to get to this level ever again in the history of PDP. The judiciary has  taken a very courageous decision in the face of all that is happening with this decision and this judgement change the change is truly on course. I urge those who have lost this case to please come back to PDP so that we can move the party forward.

On his part, Deputy Minority leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha said, “God loves Nigeria hence this wisdom from the  Apex court. The judgment is hope renewed. To God be the glory. Let us put everything behind us and concentrate in the project Nigeria.”

Also speaking with Vanguard, the Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Biodun Olujimi said, “It is good that we have our party back, the first thing to do is to reconcile, we need to be able to speak, what was lacking the last tone was that people were not willing to talk without communication, it is difficult it run a home, not to talk of running a huge political party, the PDP.  We need to be honest with each other, we need to move this party forward, we need to overtake, we need to reposition our party, make amends, stay with PDP  because we are the only ones that know how a country can be run, how we can make money from oil and be able to use it for the benefit of the people.”

On her part, Senator Stella Oduah, Anambra North who commended the Judiciary for the judgment, however described it as victory for the party, members and Nigeria and not only for Markafi  or loss for Sheriff, but victory for democracy in Nigeria, adding that the challenge now is for everyone to come together and build a very virile and formidable PDP.

Also speaking to Vanguard, Senator Enyinnaya Àbaribe, Abia South said, “No Victor, no vanquished, we are all PDP. We need to all come together as one to organize our convention and get the elected leadership that will lead us to defeat APC in 2019.”

Also speaking to Vanguard, Senator James Manager, Delta South said, “it is intervention from God and now that God has intervened, God is for peace and forgiveness , let the PDP forgive and forget who seemingly have offended other people. We have learnt our lessons from the crisis and what we need do now is to forge ahead.   We will forgive and forget those who  seemingly were the brain behind the crisis.

“What I  am saying is to forgive and forget,  but not forgetting the lessons of where we were before the court judgement so that we can move ahead as a great political party.

For Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, Delta North, he said, ” Iam happy  about what happened, every layer knew the true position of things, Nigerians will now see a very strong PDP. 

Also speaking to Vanguard, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, Edo South said, “This judgement  is not  just  victory for Markafi  or loss for Sheriff but victory for democracy in Nigeria.  The challenge  now is to honesty  and thoroughly  reconcile all  segments of the party and  make it a viable option all  those who are currently  stranded in the APC  and  indeed  all Nigerians who are lovers of democracy.”

Also hailing the Supreme Court judgment were Senators Philip Aduda, FCT; Clifford Ordia, Edo Central; Samuel Anyanwu, Imo, Bassey Akpan, just as they called on aggrieved members to embrace peace and help build the party. 

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