Senator Ahmed Makarfi tells JOHN ALECHENU that he has the experience needed to win the 2019 presidential election
What makes Makarfi stand out from the other PDP presidential aspirants in the 2019 election?
All members of the party aspiring to fly the flag of the party are eminently qualified to be President of this country. But then, when you have a crop of eminently-ualified Nigerians, there is somebody among them that is the most qualified because they all have their antecedents. I have been a lecturer, a banker, an accountant, commissioner, governor, senator and above all, national chairman of a major political party. Part of the problem the current government has is the lack of harmony between the parties, the legislature and the executive. I am not a stranger to the executive; I am not a stranger to the legislature; I am not a stranger to party management. In fact, I managed the PDP at a very turbulent time but, with the support of other committee members, I was able to stabilise the party to make it the beautiful bride it is today.
How do you hope to defeat others in the primaries?
To the delegates of the PDP, Makarfi has remained a loyal, committed member of the party who has never known any other identity. As far as the party is concerned, my antecedents speak for me. At the time I became governor of Kaduna State, the problems bedevilling Kaduna were not different from the problems bedevilling Nigeria today — problems of disunity, distrust among the component parts, the agitations for self-determination because people felt they were marginalised. Kaduna was divided; Kaduna is a mini Nigeria. There is no segment of Nigeria that is not represented in a substantial proportion.
Do you have faith in the PDP’s ability to conduct a free and fair primary?
Yes. We believe the PDP has turned a new leaf. This is a brand new PDP that has no impunity; one where we have decency and compliance with procedure is now the order of the day. We believe when these are in place, a free, fair and credible primary will be in place. We have always said it is not a do-or-die affair. We will be comfortable with the outcome of a credible process and we will support whoever emerges just as we expect that they will support us when we emerge.
What should Nigeria expect in the presidential election if you win the primary?
Nigerians should expect the PDP to bounce back. We hope to win the election because we believe Nigerians will trust Makarfi with the leadership of the country, having been tried and tested in the administration of a state like Kaduna which is referred to as a mini Nigeria.
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