Police seal PDP secretariat averts clash between Sheriff and Makarfi faction in Plateau

The police on Friday, barricaded the entrance to Plateau state PDP secretariat

The police acted after getting information of an impending clash between the Makarfi faction of the party and the Sheriff group

The state chairman of the Makarfi-led faction, Honourable Damishi Sango, exonerated Sheriff from the fracas

A bloody clash between the Ali Modu Sheriff faction and the Senator Ahmed Makarfi faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau state was averted by the police on Friday, May 5.

The Sheriff faction attempted to take over the party secretariat in Jos occupied by the Makerfi led faction but they were vehemently resisted.

Vanguard reports that loyalists of the two factions assembled infront of the party secretariat along Yakubu Gowon way, as early as 8am.

The timely intervention of security operatives saved the day as the gate of the secretariat was locked, preventing human and vehicular movement in and out of the of the premises.

Speaking with journalists, Gyang Badung, the leader of the Ali Modu Sheriff exco said: “We are here to address you on the recent development, we officially wrote to the security informing them of the meeting which was to take place today at the Secretariat but the other aggrieved group mobilized army of errand youth to disrupt the meeting.”

He called on Damishi Sango to stop parading himself as the party chairman in the state as he claimed to be the substansive chairman of the party in the state.

On his part, Sango who is the leader of the Makarfi faction commended the security officials for their timely intervention.

“I don’t want to believe that Sheriff is responsible but it is a few mischief makers, PDP is a dependable party but we know those sponsoring crises to scare people away from the party,” he added.

This Day reports the police got wind of an impending clash between the two factions as the Sheriff group planned to forcefully take over the secretariat from the Makarfi faction.

On arrival, Sango was said to have been allowed access into the secretariat with his supporters by the police.

Sources reported that the PDP has been embroiled in leadership tussle. Following the ruling of a Port Harcourt High Court, on February 27 affirming Sheriff as the party’s national chairman, the Makarfi’s faction had on March 16 filed an appeal before the apex court contending the ruling.

On March 21, Sheriff filed an objection to the appeal, praying the apex court to strike out Makarfi’s appeal.

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, May 4, commenced hearing on the objection filed by Sheriff against the appeal filed before the court by the Makarfi’s faction.