Former Ministers, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) between 1999 and 2015, have strongly expressed disappointment with former President Goodluck Jonathan for supporting the candidacy of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as National Chairman of the party.

Three of the former Ministers, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard noted that Jonathan’s support for Sheriff would not augur well for the opposition party.

Ever since the PDP leaders, at its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, endorsed the zoning of the party’s chairmanship position to the North-East, there have been mounting opposition as it was seen as a subtle way to retain senator Sheriff in his position.

One of the Ministers, who served under Jonathan, expressed disappointment that the ex-president ‘deliberately brought an outsider to kill our party”.

The former Minister, who did not want to be named, explained: “How can the former president who is one of the greatest beneficiaries of the party bring in somebody that will kill the party? It is obvious that majority of our party members don’t want Sheriff to continue as Chairman.

“So, as the leader of the party, what we expect from the former President is to provide the leadership and hold the party together. Instead, he has kept mute because he obviously supports Sheriff”.

Another former Minister who served under President Umaru Yar’Adua, said: “With what is happening, a final death knell has been sounded for the PDP.
“What is the rationale for zoning the position to the North-East if not because some people are desperate to ensure that Sheriff remains in office at all costs?

“In fact, making Sheriff the Chairman of the party is an insult to the entire North because the North should have been left to take their own decision. For keeping quiet when it matters most, President Jonathan has disappointed a lot of us. That is not how to provide leadership at this critical time”.

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