PDP factional chairman says party is govt in waiting

The Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) on Wednesday said it was not just an opposition party but a government-in-waiting.

Chairman of National Caretaker Committee of the party, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, stated this when he received syndicate reports of the Strategy Review Committee led by Prof. Jerry Gana in Abuja.

He said that PDP would become the ruling party in 2019 if its members did the right thing.

“It is in the interest of Nigerians that opposition exists and is strong.

“Nigerians will not expect opposition that behaves in unruly manner; one that will be there to talk down on government all the time.

“I think we should not be unreasonable in our opposition.

“We should use our brains so that when we criticise and bring out alternative ways of doing things, we will convince Nigerians that we are better set of people to rule Nigeria.

“But, if we show that there is no difference, Nigerians will say `no, they are birds of the same feather’.

“That is why we must criticise, using our brain to actually connect with Nigerians so that we can convince them that we are what we say we are,” Makarfi said.

On reconciliation in the party, the chairman said that the party’s leadership must not withdraw from any opportunity to ‎reconcile with its members.

“We must not close door for reconciliation and negotiation but we must reconcile based on strong position. A unified judgment by Court of Appeal will place us in good stead.’’

He added that it was only the judgment from the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt that the party was waiting for in moving forward.

“We are waiting for judgment that will restore hope.

“How the court will restore that hope is for the will of PDP members to be respected, and we are giving the legal right for us to go ahead to build a virile party.’’

Markarfi, however, urged the party executive and its organs at the state and local government levels to continue to work while waiting for the court’s decision on its leadership.

He commended the committee for its efforts towards the repositioning of the party, recalling that the committee was self-funded “and this is the kind of sacrifice that PDP needs to rise and fly again’’.

‎Presenting the report earlier, Gana said that the committee would submit its final report at the end of January.

Gana said that the committee also planned to have a brief session with PDP governors and the National Assembly caucus before the submission of the report.

“This is to inform them on some of the issues and recommendations that are contained in the report.

“This is also to accommodate any input they can bring forward so as to bring everybody on board,’’ he said.

The Gana’s committee was set up in November, 2016, to evolve ways to reconcile the party leadership crisis and reposition it to win future elections.