Former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in disarray because Ali Modu Sheriff was called to lead the party.

In an interview with Daily Trust, Duke said Sheriff who has been in the opposition for a long time shouldn’t have been called to lead the party just a year after defecting.

He said, “The PDP situation is a very, very sad one not just for the party but for the nation itself because right now there’s no viable opposition; the opposition is in disarray. And what we have in the PDP now is ego at play; it’s just the ego of a few individuals that is bringing down the roof of the entire house. Maybe we need to take a deep breath, step aside and say, listen, what is best for the party and not what is best for me.

[Read Also: HOW WIKE GAVE JONATHAN N50M FOR PDP STAKEHOLDERS MEETING – SHERIFF]

“We made a mistake, and I say this bluntly. I believe that former governor Modu Sheriff should not have been invited to lead the PDP in the first place. Why? For 16 years, he was in the opposition party. He joined the PDP and within one year of joining it, he became the leader of the party. If you were a member of the PDP in Borno State, who for 16 years Sheriff was your adversary, I don’t think it would be a pleasant experience for you that he became your boss overnight.”

Duke urged both factions to come together during the upcoming convention and settle their differences.

He said unity, strength and cooperation was needed to fight an incumbent like the All Progressives Congress (APC).

[Read Also: NO PLAN TO SUSPEND JONATHAN, OTHERS – SHERIFF]

“But having made that mistake – I repeat, having made that mistake – we have to learn from it. I believe that in August or thereabout there would be a national convention. Let us all come together because a lot of effort went into building that party. So, if in the next couple of months there is a convention and we guide ourselves properly, we can put all these behind us. But all this running back and forth to court and all that will not solve the problem because eventually, what will probably happen is that we are going to have two parties emerging from the PDP – what  Modu Sheriff is holding and what Makarfi is holding. And when you want to fight an incumbent, you gather strength, you come together, don’t divide the party.

“The APC defeated PDP in 2015, because they came together; the amalgamation of various parties and not the disintegration of parties. And so, PDP is still a very strong brand that has offices and network throughout the country. That is the strength, right? It should come together, put ego aside and build the party. Unfortunately, ego is the biggest problem in dealing with politicians. Each one wants to ‘show you who I am’ and at the end of the day, we are nothing, absolutely nothing; it’s the country that makes you something,” Duke added.

Azeez