Attacks on PDP Headquarters: We Won’t Be Intimidated, Says Makarfi

By Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Following Thursday attack on the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), allegedly carried out by the supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a former Governor of Kaduna State and former Caretaker Chairman of PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi has insisted that the party would not be intimidated.

Markafi, a presidential aspirant on the platform of PDP disclosed this yesterday after submitting his nomination form, where he said that the PDP was dealing with a drowning party men.

He stated: “I will begin by sympathising with you, both PDP women and women on the attack on democracy on what happened yesterday, when we were assaulted by the APC thugs. This has never happened before, for a party to leave its domain, go to another party’s headquarters and do what they did. But no matter how they try, they will not succeed. 

“Intimidation will not work;  we know the APC are left with no option other than intimidation. When you are losing whatever you see you grab. if you give a drowning man a sword he will hold it. So, we are dealing with drowning men, we should understand and see them as such. We must never lose focus to wrestle power from the APC; they may use whatever they want to use, but let use our brains.”

Markafi stressed that what the PDP was doing as regards selecting a presidential candidate was a transparent process, adding that the APC could not do that, because they were always substituting one thing or the other, saying the party was still quarrelling over what type of primary to hold.

He said as a loyal party man, he would accept  whatever the delegates decide and  work for the interest of the party to make sure the party returns to power.

Meanwhile, a governorship aspirant on the platform of PDP from Bauchi state, Senator Abdul Ningi, said that he was the most qualified aspirant having spent 12 years in the National Assembly.

According to him, “Looking at the state, it has derailed especially in the last three and half years. Bauchi has become like a cursed, and if things continue to be the way they are in the next couple of years, I don’t know how
we are going to describe Bauchi, as a state headquarters in
particular.”

“I see this as my obligation and my resolve to ensure that Bauchi story changes. I want to add value to the state and make sure it becomes one of the frontline states in terms of development.”

Also, a governorship aspirant from Kwara state, Ibrahim Muhammed Ajia, said that having served for 15 years in the police force that he resigned in order for him to realise his governorship ambition.

He stated: “2019 is the time for the youths and we have the numbers and strength, if we do this nobody can stop us. Young people should actualise the struggle by campaign, complaining by side will not solve problem.”

A governorship aspirant in Nassarawa State and a former Minister of Information, Senator Patricia Akwashiki, said that the PDP, having been out of power had learnt its lessons, especially where it did  things with impunity.

She said that it was possible for a woman to become a governor in any part of the country, while declaring her readiness to break the jinx and become the first woman to be a governor in Nigeria. 

According to her, “It is more than a cultural thing than religious. If we want to move this country forward people must get up and stop criticising from the fence. I was the first woman in Nassarawa State to become a lawmaker in the National Assembly and a first woman to become a minister.”