John Shiklam in Kaduna
Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and former governor of Kaduna state, Senator Ahmed Makarfi on Saturday apologised to all aggrieved persons in the party, urging them to forgive and reconcile with each other in the interest of the party.
Makarfi spoke when the chairman of the reconciliation committee of the party and governor of Bayelsa state, Mr. Seriake Dickson paid him a visit at his residence in Kaduna.
“No doubt in the course of events, we must have hurt each other. On behalf of all, as chairman of the Caretaker Committee, I wish to apologise to all, from whichever side they belong, who feel hurt by whatever means”, Makarfi said.
According to him, it is a good virtue to say sorry when one is wrong, pointing out that reconciliation is one of the virtues of human relationship.
“We need to reconcile, we need to acknowledge where we went wrong. It is a good virtue to say sorry where you are wrong. It is a good virtue to reconcile. Every day, whether Christian or Muslim, we pray. It is because we knowingly or unknowingly offend our creator, asking for His forgiveness and reconciling with Him.
“If that is what we do every day, why can’t we show that we are living by example? Why can’t we among us humans talk to each other, reconcile with each other and learn from past mistakes?”, he said.
While urging members of the party to embrace dialogue and reconciliation, Makarfi said “litigation may just give you a legal victory, but it may not give you a permanent peace and harmony amongst your family.”
He expressed support to the views earlier express by Governor Dickson that members of the party should refrain from making speeches that will not promote the cause of reconciliation, saying that he has personally refrained from granting interviews.
“Personally I have refrained from granting interviews, not because I don’t want to talk. I have a lot to say, but let us achieve a reasonable level, if nor complete peace and harmony within the family, before we begin to go out there and talk”, he said.
Speaking earlier, the Bayelsa governor said the visit was to consult with Makarfi for the way forward for the PDP. He described Makarfi as one of the most respected leaders of the PDP in the country, noting that his mission was to seek for counsel on the way forward.
“I am here to consult with him on the way forward for our country. I want to use this opportunity to congratulate him on his emergence as the national chairman of the Caretaker Committee, a job that he didn’t seek for.
“I want to thank him for taking the gauntlet. I want to thank him for being a good party leader as he has always been, for being the agent for the rebirth of our party in these very trying times.
“I am here in my capacity as the chairman of the reconciliation committee of our party, and in times like this, all leaders and party men and women need to put aside, ego personal differences and put the interest of our party before any other thing”, the governor said.
According to Seriaki, “Nigeria needs PDP and PDP is coming back strong. PDP now has a focused leader, a person that is trusted and respected across the nation.”
He disclosed that all the PDP governors are behind Makarfi’s leadership adding that as the Chairman of the National reconciliation committee, “we had been in touch with leaders of our party across the length and breadth of our country and one thing everybody says is that with our national chairman, our party has gotten it right.”
The governor called on all leaders of the party to refrain from making legal point out of what essentially is a political misunderstanding within a family.
“People should resort to political solution and political solution comes by engagement and meetings and interaction of party leaders, not litigation in the law courts.
“I want to also caution that people should say less in the media. People should refrain from making comments that will not promote the cause of reconciliation. We are on the path of reconciliation and I am here to brief you on the efforts that are ongoing and also to seek your counsel on the way forward. We have no doubt Makarfi will build a strong and formidable PDP”, the governor said.
