Makarfi cautions PDP leaders on accommodation of defectors
by Itodo Daniel Sule, Lokoja
A former governor of Kaduna State and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election, Senator Ahmed Makarfi has urged the leadership of its party to thread with caution in the accommodation and integration of those that defected to the party in recent times to avoid implosion.
Makarfi, who was a one time caretaker national chairman of the PDP gave the warning on Friday in Lokoja when he met leaders and stakeholders of the PDP in Kogi State to solicit their supports for his presidential aspiration.
He said the party’s leadership must be wary of the kind of mistake that happened when the PDP was handed over to Senator Ali Modu Sheriff with the expectation of rebounding it but rather took the party down the drain.
“Everybody is welcome but we must be careful so we don’t give the impression that it doesn’t pay to be loyal. We must be careful how we accommodate and integrate those that are defecting to the party. It must be balanced in a way that the interest of everybody is taken care of.
“We must not create a situation whereby you have a home and you have a visitor and when the visitor comes, you give him a guest room to stay; then the next day, he wants the masters bedroom and then the next day, you leave the home for him…does that happen?
“PDP must never allow that kind of thing to happen. Let them come in and enjoy the privileges but you must know what to give and what not to give”, said.
According to him, the PDP must get it right in choosing its presidential flag bearer and other candidates for the 2019 elections, adding, “It will be a great disaster not only for the PDP but entire Nigeria if we make that mistake”.
He urged the delegates to go for candidates that have the capacity and should not be swayed by moneybags.
“Together we can make it. If they give you their bags of money, collect it but go and do the right thing. After all, you are not going to give receipts. Collect and do the right thing and don’t collect bank draft or transfer from their personal accounts” (laughter), he said.
He said Nigeria is currently faced with myriads of problems such as insecurity, hunger, lack of cohesiveness, joblessness and poverty, saying that it takes a visionary leader with capacity to turn around the negative narratives.
“We want a society where there is equitable distribution of wealth so that everybody can feed and take care of their families; educate their children, provide shelter for their family and provide good health care for their family and feel secured”, he said.
Makarfi said he has the capacity to turn around the fortunes of Nigeria for the better and urged the PDP stakeholders in Kogi State to give him their supports.
Responding, the PDP Chairman in the state, Engr Sam Uhotu, assured him of their supports, saying that the PDP would have been buried were it not for the efforts of Senator Makarfi who came in to rescue the party.
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