From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri
A political group, Senator Ali Sheriff Vanguard has alleged that former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is in position to stop the insurgency presenting ravaging the North east, “because of his closeness to the leadership of the Boko Haram”.
The group stated this yesterday in a statement, stressing that “Senator Sheriff has promised to make use of his closeness to the Boko Haram leadership to end the insurgency if a PDP government is voted into power in Borno State”.
The vanguard had earlier urged the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to adopt consensus technique in picking the governorship candidate who would represent the party in the 2015 general elections, which it said would enable the party to break the jinx which had continuously blocked its efforts to emerge victorious and ended off winning second position since the inception of present democratic rule in 1999.
The group emphasized that it would be a fait accompli if the crops of aspirants on the party’s platform rally round to support Mala Modu Sheriff, the younger brother of the erstwhile governor, Ali Modu Sheriff.
The statement signed by Babagana Modu and Abubakar Gulumba, the Chairman and Secretary respectively, said only Mala that can easily tap into the goodwill of his brother across the state to win election for the party in the state.
The group said: “As supporters of our great leader, grass root politician and former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, we advise all Borno PDP governorship aspirants to step down and adopt the younger brother of our dynamic leader, Mala Sheriff as the party’s consensus gubernatorial candidate for the 2015 elections.
“This is in the interest of party cohesion and to compensate our esteemed party members for their loyalty since 1999.”
“Mala Sheriff as a former commissioner of finance is a tested and trusted hand who can deliver Borno State to the PDP. In addition, being a younger brother to the former governor is a plus, as he will benefit immensely from his brother’s eight year rule as governor.
The likes of former Presidential Liaison Officer, Kashim Imam, Gambo Lawan, Former Federal Capital Territory ministers Mohammed Abba Gana and Ibrahim Bunu, Mohammed Kumalia and former Works minister, Sanusi Daggash are nothing, but, dead wood who have lost political relevance”, the statement further added.
“These individuals cannot deliver their wards, not to talk of their household to the party. The stakes are high for Borno in this elections, as we cannot afford to lose out bearing in mind that Senator Sheriff has promised to make use of his closeness to the Boko Haram leadership to end the insurgency if a PDP government is voted into power in Borno State”, it declared.
“It is only Senator Ali Sheriff who has the financial muscle to bankroll the elections single handedly. This is because no one within Borno PDP has the kind of resources available to the Senior Sheriff or his network of loyal supporters across the length and breadth of Borno State.
“Adopting Mala Sheriff as the consensus candidate will put an end to the infighting within the party. This infighting has caused the party the governorship elections three times. This is in line with a popular saying that once beaten, twice shy, Borno PDP cannot allow itself to be beaten the fourth time having been beaten twice”, the statement concluded.
