By Aidoghie Paulinus and Sola Ojo, Kaduna
Factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi has absolved the All Progressives Congress (APC) of complicity in the crisis rocking his party.
“I don’t think so,” he said when asked if APC was fueling the PDP crisis. “I honestly don’t think so. Look, first of all, it is not impossible that you find individuals on the other side instigating. But there is a difference when a political party as an institution or government as an establishment would come in and strongly get involved. To be honest, I am not seeing that clear indication,” Makarfi said.
Makarfi further said he was not ruling out the fact that “there are individuals in other parties who for localised political interest, have got involved in fueling this particular matter.”
He noted that people rush to the judiciary to complicate simple political family issue, saying the crisis was not a technical issue.
He said the judiciary, rather than the APC should be blamed for the protracted crisis in the PDP.
The spokesman for fartion, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, had said the crisis bedevilling the party was orchestrated by the Presidency and the APC to whittle down the effect of PDP in the forthcoming elections in Edo and Ondo states.
Makarfi said but for the conflicting ruling from the judiciary, the crisis would have long been over.
“People rush to the judiciary. First of all, the judiciary is an important arm of government; they are to adjudicate. But in adjudicating, what is good for the nation, what is good for the polity, they must put it forward.
“A political party is an association of a number of people based on the willingness to belong. The judiciary has shaped nations to become great nations. And I believe it can also shape Nigeria to become a great nation.
“In so doing, in few cases were certain confusion is sown into the system, my plea is that they rise up to the challenge and not allow it to take too much time because taking too much time has the potential to destroy and derail democracy.
“Looking at this matter, it is a question of what is it that people want. It is not some technicalities here or there. You are dealing with human beings and you are talking about democracy. The underlying principle is what the overwhelming majority of people want. If it is what the overwhelming majority of people want, I don’t think any individual or group should hide behind any technicality to impose anything on them. That is my own take,” Makarfi said.
As part of effort to resolve the crisis, stalwarts of the PDP in the North-west zone comprising Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi and Sokoto states yesterday met in Kaduna ahead of the national convention slated for August 17 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
National Vice Chairman, North west, Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure, said the meeting was to deliberate on positions that have been zoned to the region.
The positions of the National Secretary, National Woman leader, Deputy Legal Adviser and Deputy Treasurer have been zoned to the North-west.
But the positions zoned to the North-West will be shared amongst the old Sokoto state- Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi; the old Kano State- Kano and Jigawa- and the old Kaduna State- Kaduna and Katsina states.
The meeting could not resolve the conflict of interest.
He however hinted that a 12-man committee has been set up to look into the various interests and come out with an agreed positions of the region.
Prominent among those who attended the meeting are the National caretaker committee chairman, Senator Mohammed Ahmed Makarfi, Former Governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Attairu Bafarawa (Sokoto) Malam Ibrahim Shakarau (Kano) Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Ramalan Yero (Kaduna).
Former Aviation Minister (state) and now Kaduna State Chairman of the party, Hassan Hyet, former Organizing Secretary Mustapha Abubakar, former Kaduna State deputy governor Ambassador Nuhu Bajoga among others including.
North-east three and the North-central have four positions.