The Chairman, National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi on Monday gave reasons for the current crisis rocking the party even as he expressed optimism that the crisis bedeviling the PDP would be resolved by first week of July.
He also declared that as loyal party members, members of his caretaker committee are ready to vacate their seats any time the stakeholders want them to quit.
Senator Makarfi, who spoke in Abuja when he received PDP state chairmen in audience, however called on the former National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, to toe the path of peace in the interest of the resolution of the festering crisis.
Besides, he noted that PDP is like a government in waiting in view of the fact that it is both worthy and people loving.
His words: “It is unfortunate what is happening but equally it is good in the sense that PDP is alive. PDP is potentially a party people love; it is party that is like a government in waiting. If it is not worth anything nobody will struggle over it”.
He however expressed firm optimism that the crisis bedeviling the PDP would be resolved by first week of July but did not give details on how the crisis will be resolved by the said date saying if the crisis is allowed to fester for too long, it might be injurious to the success of the party in future elections.
According to him, “We must not over stretch this fact for too long because this is injurious to the party and can affect the fortunes of the party in the long run, not only in our attempt to retain the states we have but also winning the states we lost and capturing power at the centre in 2019”.
The former Kaduna State governor pointed out that the caretaker committee was not set up to witch hunt anybody or dissolve any state chapter of the PDP but to prepare for the party’s national convention and facilitate peaceful reconciliation of party member.
He said, “The problem that will be there, after the national convention, those elected will have sufficient time to handle them.
“We believe that if we work together the issue will be handle peaceful,” he added.
Makarfi lauded the chapter chairmen of the PDP for identifying with his committee, noting that as members, they were not there to feather their political interest and assured that as loyal party members, the caretaker committee members are ready to vacate their seats any time the stakeholders want them to quit.
PDP Chairman in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alhaji Yunisa Suleiman, who led the delegation, presented Makarfi with the resolutions of the state chairmen after their meeting saying that as state chairmen they were not comfortable with what is going on in the party particularly at the national level.
His words, “We attended the last NEC which was held on May 17, which was presided over by former National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, and which approved the last national convention held in River state on the 21 May. It is note worthy that there was no court order whatsoever or any court of competent jurisdiction restraining the party convention.
“The tenure of our national officers terminated on May 21, 2016. Just like nature abhors vacuum, the party invoked the power invested on it under section 33(5) of the constitution and disssolved the then exco led by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, and a set up a national caretaker committee headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi to drive the affairs of the party forward.
“They are also to organise a national convention of the party to elect fresh national officers for the party.”
