Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson has met with the Interim National Chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, saying during the meeting that all PDP Governors are solidly behind his leadership.
Governor Dickson, who stormed the Kaduna residence of Makarfi on a solidarity visit on Saturday, said PDP now has a focused leader that is trusted and respected across the nation.
The Bayelsa State Governor, who is equally Chairman of the PDP National Reconciliation Committee, said: “I am here to consult with our National Chairman who is one of our respected leaders of party and of our country, on the way forward for our country.
“I want to use this opportunity to congratulate him on his emergence as the national chairman of the Caretaker Committee, a job that he didn’t seek for. I want to thank him for taking the gauntlet. I want to thank him for being a good party leader as he has always being, for being the agent for the rebirth of our party in this very trying times.
“I am here in my capacity as the Chairman of the Reconciliation Committee of our party, and in times like this, all leaders and party men and women need to put aside, ego personal differences and put the interest of our party before any other thing.
“Nigeria needs PDP and PDP is coming back strong. PDP now has a focused leader, a person that is trusted and respected across the nation.
“Mr. Chairman, let me tell you what you already know. All your governors are behind you and I have in my capacity as Chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee, we had been in touch with leaders of our party across the length and breadth of our country and one thing everybody says is that, with you as our national chairman, our party has gotten it right.
“Let me use this opportunity also to call on all leaders of our party to refrain from making legal point out of what is essentially a political misunderstanding within a family. People should resort to political solution and political solution comes by engagement and meetings and interaction of party leaders, not litigation in the law courts.
“I want to also caution that people should say less in the media, we should see less abuses. People should refrain from making comments that will not promote the cause of reconciliation.
“We are on the path of reconciliation and I am here to brief you on the efforts that are ongoing and also to seek your counsel on the way forward.
“We have no doubt Senator Makarfi will build a strong and formidable PDP.”
In his short response, the interim PDP National Chairman said that the party is only on sabbatical but has a formidable team that will bring it back to power in 2019.
While stressing the need for reconciliation in the party, Makarfi said they must acknowledge their past mistakes, beg themselves and reconcile.
In his words, “We need to reconcile, we need to acknowledge where we went wrong. It is a good virtue to say sorry where you are wrong. It is a good virtue to reconcile. Everyday, whether Christian or Muslim, we pray. It is because we knowingly or unknowingly offend our creator, asking for His forgiveness and reconciling with Him.
“No doubt, in the cause of events, we must have hurt each other. Why can’t we talk to each other, reconcile with each other and learn from past mistakes.
“On behalf of all, as chairman of the Caretaker Committee, I wish to apologise to all, from whichever side they belong, who feel hurt by whatever means. Litigation may just give you a legal victory, but it may not give you a permanent peace and harmony amongst your family.
“I support your views that we should refrain from making speeches that will not promote the cause of reconciliation.
“Personally I have refrained from granting interviews, not because I don’t want to talk. I have a lot to say, but let us achieve a reasonable level if not complete peace and harmony within the family before we begin to go out there and talk.
“We are only on sabbatical, we have a formidable team and we will surely bounce back.”