We are not aware Of Makarfi’s ‘presidential ambition’ – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has denied knowledge of its National Caretaker Committee (NCC) Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi’s presidential ambition.

The Senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kashamu, had accused Makarfi of creating crisis in the South-west zone of the party because of his 2019 ambition.


In a press conference held at the party secretariat Wednesday, the party through its National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye also faulted the call for the resignation of Makarfi by one of the chairmanship aspirants, Chief Bode George.

Adeyeye stated that the National Caretaker Committee is committed to the conduct of a credible and transparent convention, saying the allegation of working in favour of one of the candidates was unfortunate.

“Whether Senator Makarfi has Presidential ambition or not, we are not aware of that. The National Caretaker Committee is not aware of that and we have not opened the floodgate for people to begin to aspire for the position of the president.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not even released the timetable for the presidential election”, said Adeyeye who added that the PDP was concerned with “Putting in place a new leadership for the party which we hope will come up or emerge latest by December 9 or 10.”

On the allegation by George that the NCC was taking the party back on the track of impunity, Adeyeye responded: “It pains us that on the one hand, Chief Bode George who is fully aware of the pains we are still going through in Lagos in order to fairly and equitably carry everybody on board to the extent that we are being accused by others as siding with him is the same person accusing us of impunity.”

“These people are very much divided and it has been a recurring decimal since 2003.”

The party further expressed dissatisfaction with what it termed the ‘antics’ of Senator Kashamu, saying in no distant time, justice will be done even as he blamed the lawmaker for PDP loss of Edo and Ondo States governorship polls.

“The actions of Kashamu and co led to the loss of Edo and Ondo States. The party will take a decision at the appropriate time on senator Kashamu,” Adeyeye said.