Monday, 18 June 2018

Makarfi Declares To Challenge Buhari In 2019, Battles Atiku For PDP Ticket

Senator Ahmed Makarfi, a former Governor of Kaduna State and immediate past Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has declared his intention to contest Nigeria’s highest position with the current ruler in next year’s presidential election.

At a press briefing in Kaduna on Sunday, Makarfi said that after wide consultations with party men and women as well as other major stakeholders, he had decided to seek the party’s nomination to contest the poll.

Though he had yet to intimate his party through writing, he added that “one has to come to the decision to seek the nomination before you even seek formally.”

He said, “I have not written to the party but who do you consult with? It is the same party men and women that you consult informally.


“At this stage, it is to seek the party’s nomination. The successful nominee will become the candidate that will stand for the election.


“But first thing first. If one’s party does not put one forward, one can’t say he is contesting the presidency yet. At this stage, I have come to the conclusion that it is okay, based on the consultations that I have had.”

“I have been consulting across the country since I left as the chairman of the party. It’s just consultations and not an endorsement. But it gives you an opportunity to feel the pulse and it will tell whether to go forward or not to go forward.

“The consultations have been quite positive and I believe it is fair enough to come to the conclusion that one should join other equally capable party men and women who have shown interest in seeking the party’s nomination for the 2019 presidential election.”

The two-term-senator, who is seeking to contest against President Muhammadu Buhari, will have to fight it out with ex-vice-president Atiku Abubakar, another former governor (Jigawa state) Sule Lamido, both members of PDP, come 2019.

Bear in mind that after months of speculations, President Buhari on April 9, officially informed the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that he will be seeking the party nomination to fly the party flag in the 2019 presidential election.

No comments:

Post a Comment