Makarfi: PDP’s Reconciliation to Cover Pre-2015 Election Issues

•  Says APC also has problem on its hands

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it is working to reconcile with not only the former National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, and his loyalists but all members who left the party before the 2015 general election.

The Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, who spoke when he received various groups on courtesy visits in Abuja yesterday, said the party would reconcile with many of its men and women who had either left or had developed cold feet towards the party.

“You can’t reconcile; you can’t expand if your policy would be exclusive in nature. As you reconcile, and expand, you accommodate different political interests which is rational, that is reasonable, that is fair. Otherwise, people have no reason to come in, otherwise, people have no reason to reconcile,” Makarfi said.

Makarfi told the women groups that the party has a lot of work ahead of it, adding: “We will embark on membership drive and bring in more members.”

He, however, said the party was not going to sacrifice those who have made some investments in the party.
“So, it is question of balancing of interests without forgetting the input, the contributions of men and women across the length and breadth of this country to take this party to where we are at the moment in spite of all the difficulties,” he said.
Makarfi described the Supreme Court judgment that reinstated him as chairman of the party as a landmark judgment that has stabilised the polity.

“We know there is hunger, we know that there are difficulties and all kinds of problems in the country. But as soon as this judgment came, it seemed to have brought down tempers.

“Why tempers have gone down is that people have seen the alternative they have been waiting for. We will work together as always to make sure we don’t let the people down,” he added.

Makarfi stated that some APC governors threatened to leave the party after their meeting with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

“The party in government wanted to copy us. They held a meeting with the acting president. They came out and some governors threatened to leave the party. This was the first meeting they were having in two years and some governors threatened to leave,” he said.