Former federal lawmaker tasks Makarfi on genuine reconciliation

FORMER member of the House of Representatives from Plateau State, Hon Simon Mwadkwon, has charged the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party at the National level to work toward genuine reconciliation and bring everybody on board irrespective of the roles played during the crisis.

Hon Mwadkwon who gave the advise in an interview in Jos, Plateau State said every stakeholders and their followers irrespective of where they are standing are indispensable in a journey to heal the wound inflicted on the party as a result of the leadership crisis.

“It is not yet time to apply the stick, those who left the party and those on the other side of the divide needs to be approached because many would be willing to return especially now that there is stability within the party. This is the time for proper and genuine reconciliation not the time to setting up disciplinary committee” he said

He advised the leadership to extend the olive branch to all and sundry, adding that those who are not ready for reconciliation should be allowed to go as they need genuine reconciliation.

Mwadkwon said, “Those who were aggrieved and left the party during the party’s primaries should be encouraged to come back. Makarfi should reach out to Ali Modu Sherrif and his people. We should accept people who are genuinely interested in coming back to the party. People who are coming in only because they want to contest elections should not be accepted.

“This is because, in spite of the factions in the PDP, some supporters are still loyal to the party and they remain constant. If the Supreme Court’s judgement had gone the other way, I will never leave PDP.”

The former federal lawmaker who lauded Supreme Court judgement said that many supporters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would have left the party if the Supreme Court’s judgement had been otherwise.

Mwadkwon said that with the judgement in favour of Senator Ahmed Makarfi, the PDP as a party, has further been strengthened and is on track and advised that before the next general elections, the internal democracy of the party be restructured and strengthened so that there will be no imposition of candidates by money bags which he said robbed them of victory in the last general elections.

According to him, “There must be a level playing ground for all the future contestants. We should try as much as possible to avoid impunity which was our undoing at the last elections. We must make it in such a way that the most popular persons emerge without any sentiment. Many people should be encouraged to contest. The issue of zoning if not so necessary should be abandoned. We were defeated in the last dispensation because of imposition of candidates and impunity.

“Zoning of positions created mediocrity. Party leadership should be friendly with the contestants. I expect to see more robust persons. I expect to see those who really love PDP who want to contest 2019. The contestants should dip their hands in their pockets to help the party because we are not in power.”