A former Governor of Kaduna State and Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, on Thursday, said that the main opposition party would win the 2023 presidential election.
He, however, urged leaders of the party to close rank and resolve all political challenges that might have arisen as a fallout of the party’s presidential primary.
Makarfi, who spoke with newsmen in Kaduna on Thursday amid rumour of defecting from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress, said he was not contemplating leaving the party he joined others to form in 1999 to date.
According to him, the only reason I will quit the party is when retiring from active politics.
According to him, the only reason I will quit the party is when retiring from active politics.
He said that the misunderstanding associated with the outcome of the party’s presidential primary and the choice of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s running mate must not be allowed to rock the PDP boat.
Makarfi urged Atiku to reach out to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers, on the choice of his running mate, saying that “the matter is resolvable.”
“I won’t blame Wike for feeling bad. Because he has been one of the pillars of the party. Let the presidential candidate, Atiku sit down with Wike to discuss issues because he is the only one that knows why he picked his running mate. The matter is resolvable,” he said.
Makarfi, a former National Chairman of the party, expressed optimism that PDP would bring back true democracy to Nigeria in 2023, adding that “we have learnt our lessons and we Will do more than we did when we are in power”.
Meanwhile, Markarfi described his rumoured defection from the PDP to APC as the handiwork of jobless politicians.
He said, “honestly, I am hearing this for the first time that I am defecting from PDP to APC and I don’t know what can be the basis.
“Why should I make an investment in terms of time and whatever you can mention in PDP and now decided to leave. Why should I go through the stress and just when we are getting it right, then I now leave the PDP for APC or any other party?
“What will be the attraction for me to leave the PDP? Well, people don’t approach me with such a rumour because they know the type of person that I am. If they want to come they come to me with substance. What could be the basis because in every rumour there must be a basis.
“Is it because members of the opposition party attended my son’s wedding and that is the basis of that rumour? Even then people of my own political party were all there. Is this the kind of country that we want to build that because people from all shades of life attend wedding ceremonies, a burial that they will now start flying rumours of defection?
“The rumour is the figment of the imagination of people who are jobless. I am a PDP member thorough and thorough. If I leave PDP, I should be retiring from politics. And because you hold different political opinions then you now cut off all relationships with people and you want Nigeria to move forward?
“I will continue to hold my political opinion as a PDP person. I will continue to stand by my opinion in PDP. I have stood by it a long time ago and I will continue. People that have been galivanting between PDP and APC are known.
“I am in politics in PDP on principle. If people are moving across parties because they want to capture power or they want to enhance their financial-economic position or whatever; I am still in PDP and I will continue to be in PDP and this time around, I believe we are going to be in power God’s willing in Kaduna. And we shall be successful even at the national level.”
In another development, PDP crisis: Atiku appeals for calm, to address grievances over his choice of Okowa
Amid dissatisfaction by some governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP over the choice of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa running mate, the PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has said “appropriate actions” will be taken to address their grievances.
Some of the governors have publicly accused Atiku of ignoring them and the resolutions of the committee set up to nominate his running mate.
The protesting governors are those who rooted for Nyesom Wike to emerge as the party’s Vice-Presidential candidate after losing the 2023 presidential ticket to Atiku Abubakar.
Governor of Benue state Samuel Ortom was quoted as saying, “If Atiku was not going to honour the decision of the committee, he should have called Wike earlier and informed him”.
Also, former governor of Ekiti state and staunch ally of Governor Wike, Ayo Fayose said the party has not treated Wike fairly.
In apparent response to the brewing disaffection, Atiku Abubakar in a post on his Facebook page on Thursday said the party remains united and focused and will look into the issues raised by his fellow party leaders.
“We are taking action to address the feelings of all party members. The unity in our community is my priority. Our resolve to unify Nigeria starts in our party and moves to the community, then on to society.
“Every governor, legislator, and other elected officials produced by our party, and party members and loyalists, are much loved and respected by me. When they speak, I listen. I do not only listen. Appropriate actions have been taken, are being taken, and will continue to be advanced”.
The signs of cracks within the party is also said to have affected its preparation for the forthcoming governorship election in Osun state.
Wednesday’s inauguration of the campaign council was attended by only two governors, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and Darius Ishaku of Taraba state out of the twelve governors listed in the 128-member campaign council.
