Makarfi: Supreme Court judgement on PDP leadership tussle has stabilised polity

National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has said the Supreme Court judgement on the party’s leadership tussle had stabilised Nigeria’s polity.
Makarfi made the observation when he received a delegation of the PDP Women Forum in his office at the party’s National Secretariat on Wednesday in Abuja.
Makarfi, who said that the judgement had also calmed down tensions, promised that PDP would not let Nigerians down.
“It was a landmark judgement that touches on every political party you can think of. It is a landmark judgment that has stabilised the polity.
“We know there is hunger, we know that there are difficulties, 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,” Makarfi said.
He re-emphasised that the party leadership would pursued reconciliation with PDP members who had either left the party or developed cold feet, even before 2015.
He added that apart from reconciliation, PDP needed to expand and attract new members to go beyond what it used to be, saying the process required accommodation.
“ If you can’t reconcile, you can’t expand if your policy will be exclusive in nature.
“As you reconcile and expand, you accommodate different political interest that is rational, that is reasonable, that is fair. Otherwise, people have no reason no reason to reconcile.
“That should be the guiding principle; but in so doing, we are also not going to sacrifice those who have made investments for us to get to where we are.
“It is question of balancing of interests without forgetting the inputs, the contributions of men and women across the length and breadth of this country.’’
Makarfi said that the party’s forthcoming non-elective convention would determine programmes of the National Caretaker Committee.
“We will not draw up programmes that we will not have time to implement. Of course, some programmes will have to stay beyond us because they must be started at a particular time.
“There should be classic programmes which should be implemented within the time that we will be in office and give party leaders after us the latitude to continue to move PDP forward.’’
He assured the forum that in going forward, women would continue take a central role in all the party’s activities.
The leader of the PDP Women delegation, Dr Aisha Aliyu, speaking earlier congratulated the Makarfi and members of the Caretaker Committee on the victory at Supreme Court.
Aliyu said that the PDP women having supported and followed the travails of the committee in the last two years, pledged to remain as trusted stakeholders, ready to champion the rebranding of PDP.
“We are fully aware that as a party that is reengaging with Nigerians, this is not the time for women to be only heard.
“This is the time they need to be seen participating and promoting a future for Nigerians which is inclusive of all.’’
Makarfi also received a delegation of the PDP former Speakers of the State of Assemblies Forum led by its acting Chairman, Mr Inuwa Gauba.
Gauba said that they were at the party national secretariat to congratulate Makarfi-led committee and to pledge their support for the development of the party.