Sacked Chairman of the National National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, said in Abuja on Friday, that a former National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau (retd.); and an ex-President of the Senate, David Mark, asked ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to convene the botched peace meeting of the party.
He explained that the decision to invite the former president to mediate in the crisis was reached at a meeting attended by the National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff; National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo; Senator Makarfi, Sen. Ben Obi, Gusau, and Mark.
Makarfi spoke while reacting to the allegations made by the Sheriff’s deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh that ex-president was drafted into the peace initiative by Governors Nyesom Wike and Ayodele Fayose of Rivers and Ekiti State respectively.
He added that “For the record, the last Stakeholders Meeting convened and chaired by the former President, Jonathan, was not sponsored or organised by Wike or Fayose as alleged by Ojugboh.
“The need for the meeting was agreed upon at the Residence of the Former National Security Adviser, Gusau in the presence of Sheriff, Oladipo, Mark, Makarfi and Obi.
“Gusau and Mark were mandated in that meeting to approach the former President to convene an all-inclusive meeting of stakeholders in order to chart a way forward for a lasting peace in the Party.”
