After months of speculations, former governor of Borno state, Ali Modu Sheriff has officially confirmed his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Making the announcement on Friday, August 15, 2014, Sheriff also said he has resolved to assist security agents to tackle the menace of Boko Haram which has had its biggest “success” in the state.
While making the announcement at State House, Abuja to newsmen after a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, Sheriff affirmed that he was joining the PDP in the interest of the country.
Thisday reports:
He told journalists that his meeting with Jonathan was personal and not political.
“Yes, there is ehhhh…but that is not what brought me. Yes, there is this issue that I might join the PDP, but that was not the discussion that brought me to the President.
“You see, Nigeria is a very interesting country and people like us who the nation has done everything for, as individuals or collectively. By the Grace of God in Borno State,
I have been made governor twice which is the maximum anyone can get in terms of the limits imposed by the constitution. I was elected into the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria thrice.
“This means that in every aspect of life, I am one of the stakeholders in Nigeria because if by the help of God, the people of Nigeria had placed me in that position at every time, my interest now should be on how to move the nation forward. Our interest should be on what makes that nation move forward.
“My decisions will be guided by the interest of the nation first. My thinking of moving to the PDP is also in the interest of the nation. We believe that every time, as a leader, you should advise them on the right course of action”, Sheriff said.
He bemoaned the killings in Borno and other parts of the North-east.
Sheriff added that he was ready to assist security agents to combat the Boko Haram challenge.
“I am not a security man or personnel. Whatever as a civilian I can do using my position as the chief executive of the state for eight years, what I have seen during my tenure, I will contribute to the security agencies through whom I got those information. What you have to understand is that this country is a big country and Borno State is a difficult state from any other state in Nigeria.
“Borno has the biggest land mass bordering Niger, Chad and Cameron. It is an open border. Borno is not like the Republic of Benin with only one entrance into Nigeria. In Borno, you can enter from 20 different points to the country.
“Therefore, you need a perfect understanding of the terrain. You need every knowledge that any politician has particularly any politician that operated in Borno State. That is all we can contribute for now” he stressed.
On his mission to villa, he said “the president of Nigeria is president for everybody. He is the President for the over 170 million Nigerians and he is the father of everybody. So, every Nigerian has the right if he or she has the permit to see him, on matters that are either of private concern or anything that affects the nation. So, my coming to visit the President was purely on a personnel ground”.
