Indications that the immediate past Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party  (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, may have been endorsed by a clique within the party to fly its banner as presidential candidate in the 2019 general election are already generating anxiety across political camps within the party, writes Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor.
THOUGH they man in the news denied it, rumor that the immediate past Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is interested in emerging as the presidential flag-bearer of the opposition party for the 2019 general election has refused to go away. And following further indications , analysts say there may be some truth to the rumor.
According to reliable party sources, talks about Makarfi’s presidential ambition appear to be spreading rather than abating, generating anxiety across political camps within and outside the PDP. While leaders and Chieftains of the opposition party are said to be divided over the alleged choice of the former Kaduna state governor by a powerful clique within the party, some camps in other political parties are busy strategising on how to handle his candidature should he emerge.
Following reports during the week that Makarfi, supported by some prominent PDP leaders may be finalizing plans to make his ambition public and roll out machinery towards achieving it, there are reports of heightened anxiety within the party over an alleged plan by a group within the party to ensure that the former Caretaker chairman emerges the presidential candidate of the PDP at all cost.
According to one of the sources, some party chieftains and presidential aspirants and had initially dismissed the speculated ambition of the former Kaduna governor with the hope that it would remain a mere rumor, however, recent development made the claims to become even more credible. And with Makarfi and his camp now mute on the trending news, not a few people within and outside the party became interested.
“At some point, many chieftains of the PDP, some of them close political associates of the former Chairman, were shocked to hear that Makarfi had told some people that his presidential ambition should not be seen as mere rumour, as he had made up his mind to run for the position in 2019. It was then that we learnt to look beyond the initial denials and deal with the possibility of his wanting the ticket for himself as alleged,” a party source said.
“And the way Makarfi has been speaking of recent when asked to confirm or deny the said rumor revealed that he may have made it clearer that until he publicly announce that he is not interested in the presidential race, it is unwise to take ignore the raging rumor. And talks that he has the support of the PDP governors to overrun all opposition to his emergence as the party’s flag-bearer is creating discontent within our party,” the source added.
Findings by The Nation reveal that while many chieftains of the party may have seen Makarfi’s presidential aspiration coming, not many of them will be willing to allow any group or persons to force him on the party. Thus, opposition is gradually building up to the allege plan by some people led by governors elected on the platform of the party to stage manage the emergence of the former Kaduna state governor as PDP presidential flag-bearer in 2019.
“Anybody can come and aspire to get the PDP ticket. But one thing that is certain is that no matter how much they try, we will not allow anybody or persons to pocket PDP and solely determine who gets what in our party. Not even the Governors will be allowed to do that and get away with it. Forget what happened at the convention where they allocated offices to themselves. We are wiser now,” a chieftain of the party in Lagos said.
 
Anxious contenders
Aside Makarfi whose ambition is still being rumored, the PDP currently parades a number of presidential aspirants following declaration of interest by some of them to run for the 2019 election on the platform of the opposition party. A former Vice President and erstwhile chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar, leads the pack having declared his ambition to run for the presidency in 2019 last year.
Making his declaration in a statement released to newsmen by his media team, Atiku described himself as a poor boy from Jada, Adamawa State. The ex-Vice President who was absent at the APC stakeholders’ meeting at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, said he has the vision and experience to run the affairs of Nigeria. He also described himself as a believer in the rule of law and a fighter for justice and equity.
“I am Atiku Abubakar, the poor boy from Jada, Adamawa state. I am a true democrat, a believer in the rule of law and a fighter for justice and equity. I believe in this country. If we work together under a focused and visionary leadership, we will make this country a stable and prosperous nation. I have the vision, the courage, the experience to lead this country. It is time to give back. I am ready to serve,’ he had said.
Atiku had since left the APC for the opposition PDP where he is believed to be continuing his aspiration to rule the country.  Sources said his camp is paying close attention to the unfolding scenario concerning the alleged ambition of Makarfi. According to one of his aides, a former member of the Adamawa House of Assembly, the former Vice President is not worried about the said ambition.
“We are not worried but we are watching events closely. We are politicians and we know the game very well. We will not dismiss anybody in a game of politics. We agree that anybody can aspire to be anything but we also will insist that a level playing ground is given to all aspirants. We are not strangers in PDP and Atiku is not a politician anybody can scheme out of anything in PDP.
“As long as nobody or group tampers with the process in favor of any aspirant, then the Atiku political camp is ready for a free and fair contest. If that happens, we are sure of winning the ticket. But where we hear that some people want to force somebody on the party as candidate because of one agreement or deal, that is not acceptable and it will not help the PDP,” a source told The Nation.
Similarly, the camp of former Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, said PDP must ensure that it avoids the pitfall of the past in deciding who it flag-bearer will be in 2019. It would be recalled that Shekarau formally notified the PDP and various stakeholders of his intention to contest for the presidency in 2019 last October. He had since been going about consulting within and outside the party.
Confirming his aspiration recently to The Nation, his spokesperson, Malam Sule Ya’u Sule, said Shekarau, a former Governor of Kano State, sent notification letters to the PDP and all relevant stakeholders last year. He added that his principal is committed to helping Nigeria and Nigerians overcome the many problems confronting the country in recent times.
He said soon after the 2015 general elections, there had been various calls on Shekarau by individuals and groups from many quarters urging him to contest for the presidency in 2019. He added that the former Kano state governor has been consulting since decided to heed the call and contest the presidential election in 2019 on the platform of the opposition PDP.
A reliable source within the Shekarau political family said the former Minister will not back out of the race over alleged plan by PDP governors to force Makarfi on the party as its presidential candidate. According to him, “we still want to believe such thing is a rumor which is common in politics. We want to be rest assured that the contest for the PDP ticket will be open and credible.
“But should it turn out to be true, we will resist such attempt because I can assure you that Mallam Shekarau will not abandon his ambition because some people want to play God. We here all the talks but we are waiting for these things to become public and confirmed, then we will know how best to approach the development. For now, we are focused on the ambition of our principal.”
 
More indications
And while many were still waiting on Makarfi or his handlers to again deny his rumored presidential ambition which resurfaced almost immediately after the December national convention of the party, a former deputy national publicity secretary of the PDP, Barrister Abdullahi Jalo, revelaed that Makarfi, would contest for the presidency in 2019. Jalo told newsmen in Gombe that Makarfi had told him of his plans to contest for the presidential ticket of on the platform of the PDP.
“I would like to make it clear that Makarfi is contesting for the presidential ticket of the PDP. He is like any other Nigerian and he has all the qualities to contest. Makarfi has told me vividly that he is contesting,” Jalo said, while warning that “If PDP allows governors to impose unpopular candidate against the best interest of the people, we the political class will move and from a new party.”
And shortly after Jalo’s revelation, the former Kaduna state governor made a statement that many interpreted to mean he is seeking the PDP ticket in 2019. Makarfi, in a recent Magazine interview, said he could join the race for the party’s presidential ticket. He was speaking on his next move after stepping down as the PDP caretaker committee chairman.
“I have heard the rumour (that I am running), it has been there since 2007… I have thought of it. By the time I leave as caretaker committee chairman, there’ll still be ten months to the party primaries. By any law or the party’s guidelines, I’m not excluded,” he said.
Makarfi further stated that, Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose’s declaration of interest in the party’s presidential ticket “is uncalled for and unhealthy” since the party has zoned the ticket to the north. Fayose was the first member of the PDP to express interest in running for the 2019 presidential election. He said the ticket is zoned to the north and nothing stops him from seeking to be PDP flag-bearer in 2019.
Again, few days ago, when asked by reporters if he will contest for the 2019 presidential election, Makarfi said the offer has not been made to him, but added that he is very much ready to serve Nigeria in that capacity if he is called upon. “I am pleased that people think that way of me and I will seriously consider it if I am offered but until the offer is made, you don’t give specific answer to what has not been offered,” he said.
“I wasn’t prepared for the leadership of the party when I was called to serve but people said I served well. In my life, I am always prepared for whatever at any given time because you don’t know what will come your way. I am not a stranger to Nigeria. I am part and parcel of this country. I know what people are going through and I know most of the things that are the issues disturbing us in the country and the things that we need to get out of the way for the country to be better. Even for my own intellectual improvement, I should be concerned. In my life, I have always been ready for whatever will come my way,” he said.
Following these developments, many analysts insisted that the rumored aspiration of the ex-Kaduna governor is gradually being confirmed by the man himself. Consequently, anxiety within he party was further heightened. “It is appearing as if Makarfi and his co-travellers are waiting for a particular time to announce his ambition formally. This ding-dong game is getting more interesting, ” a chieftain of the party in Lagos said.
The post Unease in PDP over Makarfi’s ambition appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.

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