Jonathan to Sheriff: I did not endorse you as PDP Chairman.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has debunked claims by a section of the media that he endorsed Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) when Sheriff visited him at his Abuja residence on Monday.

A statement from Jonathan’s media aide, signed by Mr Ikechukwu Eze, described the claim as false, saying the issue of endorsement never came up in the course of the visit.

 “Not at the closed door meeting with Sheriff nor during the former president’s interview with newsmen,” it stated.

Wondering “why few reporters, some of whom were not even at the venue, chose to infuse mischief in their report,” Eze said that Jonathan as a former President and foremost leader of the party, welcomed Sheriff and some of his supporters to his house in line with a mediation role he is playing towards unifying and strengthening the PDP.”

He disclosed that Jonathan opened his doors to Sheriff upon his request, just as he had earlier done to the Makarfi-led caretaker committee members.

Furthermore Eze said the former president was prepared to broker more talks until the issues in the leadership of the PDP were finally resolved.

He said, “Indeed, it may interest you to know that after meeting with Sheriff, the former president also met with Senator Ahmed Makarfi, leader of the PDP Caretaker Committee, and the party’s Board of Trustees Chairman, Senator Walid Jibril, later in the evening.

 “As a peace-loving leader of the party, the former president’s interest is to help reposition PDP to enable it play a constructive role in the affairs of the nation, in view of the imperative of deepening the nation’s democracy,” the statement added.

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