FORMER Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Muhammed Markafi, has called on delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the party’s national convention to present a credible candidate for the 2019 presidential elections, saying he has the capacity to bring peace to the country if elected.
Alhaji Markafi who addressed PDP faithful in Enugu on Friday said the hydra-headed socio-economic and political problems
facing the nation would only be tackled squarely by someone who has the fear of God and respect for humanity.
The ex-Caretaker Committee Chairman of PDP told the Enugu gathering that his party should not afford to make mistake in choosing its standard-bearer, stressing that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should be taken for granted in the next general polls.
“We should weigh our decision in choosing our candidate and our decision should be in tandem with the decision of many Nigerians. We should not be deceived by opinion poll. Nigeria voters do not follow media rating.
“We should not expect General to swallow everything we give him. Even if we do in PDP, General may not do. So, we cannot afford to make mistake in our choice.
“I am travelling around the country on roads to assess the state of the country. I will fly at a point but first I will largely use the
road to have sufficient knowledge before I take off.
“We no longer trust each other. We must elect a person who has the capacity to bring peace to the country. I did it in Kaduna State and I am ready to do it again as a President. I was the first governor in the country to appoint people from the Southeast and other parts of the country. As a governor, an Igbo man was elected into the Kaduna State House of Assembly. I believe in equal opportunity to all irrespective of where you come from.”
On structuring, Alhaji Markafi insisted, “We must restructure Nigeria. It is a policy of PDP. Once PDP comes to power again,
Nigerians will be gathered to chart a new course for the country. The agenda of the National Conferences of ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan were not given attention by the present government.
“My idea of restructuring is that there should be institutional restructuring where an institution like the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) will allow political parties to be represented. Power will be restructured,” he added.
Speaking on the growing rate of unemployment in the country, the ex-Senate Committee Chairman on Finance, assured that unemployment would drastically reduce if elected, adding that his government would provide gainful employment to youths as well as loans to indigent students in tertiary institutions which would be payable when the beneficiaries get job.
Recalling his era as PDP boss, Alhaji Makarfi, said the peace he brought to the party was collective efforts, regretting allowing
a person they did not know to take over the affairs of the party in the first instance.
“When we made the person a chairman we did not know we were entering into Lion’s den. We should make sure the right person is elected as it will be difficult when we make a mistake in the choice of candidate.
On corruption, the ex-governor warned that it should not be politicized noting, “Corruption is higher now than under PDP regime.
You do not know the gravity of corruption until when you leave office. I match my words with action.
Alhaji Markafi also went into memory lane, recalling with nostalgia how he arrived in Enugu in 1973 in the then East Central
State as a young man to school.
“For me, it is a homecoming to Enugu. My first coming was in 1973 when Federal Government College, Enugu, was created. I had a good relationship with many people in Enugu and I have continued to maintain the relationship I made here as a young boy.
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