Makarfi was two-term governor of Kaduna state between 1999 to 2007 as well as two-term Senator, representing Kaduna North respectively.
Speaking on Monday at a stakeholders’ meeting with Makarfi, the State chairman of PDP, Dr. Hassan Hyet said there would be a change in the country come 2019 because PDP will reclaim power.
Hyet said, “On that day we will not be the one to escort others to the seat of power, but others will be the one to escort Makarfi to Aso Rock as the elected President by the special grace of God.”
He urged every party member to gear up towards achieving Makarfi’s presidential aspiration because he (Makarfi) over the years had stood his ground to ensure the unity of the party.
“Today PDP is a household name in Nigeria because of the sacrifice the former governor made to ensure that the party remains as one united family.”
He noted that despite court injunctions and political intimidations the party is still waxing stronger till date.
Hyet got the nod from the party’s stakeholders to accompany the presidential aspirant on consultation tours across the country as their formal endorsement of Makarfi.
In his own address, Senator Makarfi who was the immediate past national caretaker committee chairman of PDP said after consulting the party at the national level about his political ambition, he decided to come home to Kaduna to intimate his supporters at the State level.
However, he assured that if elected as president, he would stop killings and kidnappings across the country.
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He stressed that the entire Nigerians will be better off at his presidency because of his wealth of experience in governance.
He said, “I have consulted the party and I thought it wise to come and meet my own base and the stakeholders to affirm to them, just as they read on the pages of Newspapers, even though, a formal declaration has not taken place where programmes and how they would be implemented would be read out.
“But like I had earlier said, if nominated by the party and elected by Nigerians, my priorities would be the issue of insecurity and stopping the killings in the country. Addressing national unity and promotion of what binds us together, addressing the issue of unemployment and creation, as well as redistribution of wealth.
“When you say you have raised our GDP by seven per cent, yes, is it possible, but who benefited from the increase? That is the question.
“So, when you create wealth, it is only meaningful when it is legitimately and evenly distributed and you distribute wealth by creating employment. Good paying job, not temporary jobs that people are paid peanuts and you begin to wonder whether the money being paid is transport money or a living wage.
“We must cut the cost of governance and redistribute those savings, so that, we create the middle class. Middle class in any society creates more wealth than the upper class; they create employment.
“They will say PDP has done nothing, but we have records of performance everywhere. We have records of performance at the legislative level and we have records of performance of managing diversity among party men and women.
“This is homecoming, so I am here so that you and I can take on the task beyond the shores of Kaduna State.”
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