PDP vows to recapture power in 2019 - Makarfi

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has vowed to regain power in the country in 2019.


Makarfi stated this at a meeting he had with members of the party’s Senate caucus shortly after the Supreme Court verdict which affirmed his leadership of the party.

The meeting was held at the private residence of the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, in Abuja.

Fayose is the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum.

Makarfi said the party would not repeat the mistakes of the past, adding that history must not be allowed to repeat itself.

He urged the leadership of the party to work together and also ensure that nobody “is allowed to hold the party to ransom again.”

He said the All Progressives Congress made a blunder in Osun State, adding that this was the reason why the ruling party in the state lost the Osun-West senatorial election to the PDP.

He said, “Work, we must work together. We must also learn to accommodate. But that should not be to the detriment of the people who fought for the party.

“Just as we take Osun West, we will take Nigeria in style by 2019.

“We would be coming with a programme that would be realistic and will not be against any constitution of the party, electoral act or any law whatsoever.

Makarfi told the senators and others present at the meeting that the party’s leadership would meet on Tuesday with the party’s Board of Trustees.

He said it was after the meeting that decisions would be taken on when the party would have its National Executive Committee meeting.

The former governor of Kaduna State added, “All the caucuses are meeting soon, I think on Tuesday or so. We must be tactical, we must be careful and we must know that the enemies are also watching.

“The enemies are shivering already. Today is a turning point of things in Nigeria. We are moving forward. Where we have erred, we must tell Nigerians that we erred and seek their forgiveness. This is a collective victory.’’

Fayose, however, said, “The wall of Jericho has fallen. We must come together to get power in 2019.”

He declared that the Supreme Court judgment had placed the party on good stead to return to power in 2019.

He assured the Makarfi-led leadership of the full cooperation of the governors, adding that, “where we need to speak we will speak, where we need to spend money, we will spend”.

However, members of the Sheriff faction refused to speak on the outcome of the court case.

Spokesperson for the faction, Mr. Bernard Mikko, who had earlier told one of our correspondents that members of the faction were meeting and would speak afterwards, later switched off his telephone.

Also, Sheriff’s deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, did not return his calls and had yet to respond to a text message sent to him as of the time of filing this report.