We're under pressure to sanction Sheriff, others -PDP

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has said that it is under pressure to sanction the factional national chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, and his supporters.

The party disclosed this to journalists after the inauguration of its 89-man zoning committee headed by the Ebonyi State Governor, Mr. Dave Umahi.

The zoning committee is saddled with the responsibility of allotting national offices to the six geo-political zones in the country.

The elections into the offices are scheduled for August 17 at the party's convention in Port Harcourt. The PDP had already zoned the office of the national chairman to the South while the North is to produce the party's next presidential candidate.

The spokesperson for the National Caretaker Committee of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said, "The committee has been under pressure to wield the big stick against Sheriff and his group.

"But we will continue to extend the olive branch, after all it is yielding result.

"Sheriff cannot be bigger than the party. The decision of the convention is greater than Sheriff and others.

"The demand of Sheriff that the caretaker committee should resign cannot be met. Nigerians have seen what Sheriff and his group are doing as the greatest act of sabotage."

Apart from Sheriff, notable members of the party who are in his camp are a former Governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim; Senator Hope Uzodima and Dr. Cairo Ojugboh.

Senator Buruji Kashamu, who was in the camp, had however abandoned the group and joined the Senator Ahmed Makarfi -led caretaker committee.

None of the members in the Sheriff's group was ready to speak with our correspondent on the issue on Friday.

A member of Sheriff's group, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, "We won't speak on it. We have given them our terms. It is left for them to either accept our terms or reject them. When the time comes, we will know what to do."

Inaugurating the zoning committee, Makarfi gave members one week to conclude their assignment to enable aspirants to know the positions zoned to their respective zones.