PDP Crisis: I did not ask Makarfi to step down – Governor Dickson

The Governor of Bayelsa State and Chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Seriake Dickson, has described as “misleading”, the report in some media, that the Caretaker Chairman of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi was asked to step down.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had reported on Monday, that the Bayelsa Governor made an overture to Makarfi in a Press Parley in Abuja at the weekend.

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relations, Francis Agbo, the Governor said the NAN reporter quoted him out of context.

Read the full text of the press release below:

“The attention of the Chairman of the PDP Reconciliation Committee, Governor Seriake Dickson has been drawn to a misleading headline: ”PDP: Dickson Urges Makarfi To Step  Down” which of course has elicited the reaction of Prince Dayo Adeyeye.

“To set the record straight, Governor Seriake Dickson spoke with a selected group of Journalists last Saturday in Abuja on the PDP crisis but he never asked Makarfi to step down.

“In the said interview, the Governor as a peace maker stated his committee’s role in the reconciliation process and argued that, for PDP to bounce back, leaders must make sacrifices.

“He consequently appealed to PDP leaders, including Sheriff and Makarfi, to make sacrifices for the revival of the party, stressing that the PDP is bigger than Sheriff and Makarfi and indeed any individual.

“This was what a NAN reporter who was at the interaction misconstrued as stepping aside for which we have written to NAN management to complain.

“Curiosly, only NAN misconstrued the Governor’s interview, all other media organisations in the interaction reported the Governor correctly.

“Inspite of the blackmail and propaganda scripted to distract Governor Dickson, the Governor and his Committee remain committed to reconciling all intetests, through dialogue, for only a political solution woven around dialogue and sacrifices can engender true reconciliation.

“The efforts of the Committee is beginning to yield dividends as the National Chairman, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff had publicly written, on the request of the Reconciliation Committee, to undertake that he would not contest election at the unity convention.

“That he would not interfer in the selection of committee membership; that he had already written to the organs of the party for nominations into the convention committees;

“That all party officials elected before the first botched Port harcourt Convention remain valid and lastly, all members of the party’s NWC whose tenures are still running have agreed to resign to pave way for a unity Convention