Makarfi: It's A New Dawn. No Victor No Vanquished- Mark, Ekweremadu

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, says the Supreme Court judgment on the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leadership crisis, ushers in a new dawn of peace, reconciliation, and recovery for the party.

Reacting to the apex court’s verdict on Wednesday, Ekweremadu said it was a no victor and no vanquished situation for individual party members, but rather a collective victory for the entire party faithful and the nation’s democracy.

He said: “I am happy that the Supreme Court has brought this protracted leadership tussle to an end today. There is no victor and there is no vanquished, but a collective victory for our party and the nation’s democracy. No democracy can prosper in the absence of a virile opposition or under the extreme hardship Nigerians have faced over the past two years. Citizens deserve a viable alternative.

“The ruling party has indeed profited from the prolonged power contest, not just in terms of defections, but also in the unchallenged degeneration of democratic values, rule of law, electoral practice, and the economy because the PDP has been too distracted to keep them on their toes.

“But, it is heartwarming that calm is returning after the storm. I salute millions of our party faithful and Nigerians who stood firm to weather the storm for their courage and loyalty, and sincerely appeal to those who left for one reason or the other to return to our big political family.

“Importantly, I call on our party leadership and elders to immediately initiate an all-inclusive peace, reconciliation, and rebuilding process to reunite everybody under the big umbrella and reinvigorate the biggest party in Africa to bounce back to the rescue of the suffering masses of Nigeria come 2019”.

Also, former President of the Senate and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BOT), Senator David Mark, has described the Supreme Court verdict on the leadership crisis that have bedeviled the Party as no victor no vanquished.

Senator Mark in a reaction to the supreme court verdict which affirmed Senator Ahmed Makarfi led national caretaker committee as authentic chairman of the party as against Senator Alimodu Sheriff faction said that in all, it is the party that won.

He acknowledged that the legal battle would have been avoided if some of the gladiators heeded wise counsel but was pleased to note that the matter has come to an end and the party is back as one family.

Senator Mark counseled members of the party to put the issue behind them and reenact the indomitable spirit of the PDP as a strong and formidable family it has been known for since its inception.

“The disagreement between both side of the divide was a needed elixir for the unity of the party to face the challenges ahead,” he stressed.

He was optimistic that useful lessons have been learnt which will put the party in a better stead for future electoral victories.

He stressed: “now we know the authentic leader of our party. It is no longer in doubt that PDP still has the credible and defined road map for the socio-political and economic recovery of our nation”.