The Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee, NCC, of the Party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi stated this in Abuja yesterday in Abuja while speaking at the first meeting off its Board of Trustees, BOT, since the Supreme Court verdict on the leadership crisis that rocked the Party.
Makarfi confirmed that already the Accord Party, AP, led by the former Oyo State Governor, Senator Rasheed Ladoja, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, led by Hon Seyi Makinde and the Labour Party which has Six members in the Oyo State House of Assembly as well many others from Oyo state had formally joined the Party.
He explained that the Committee would looked in the matter of the new comers and accord them proper registration ahead of the Party’s National Convention
Lack of quorum yesterday stopped Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BOT) from appointing a Secretary to replace the late Ojo Maduekwe, the former board scribe.
The came just as the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu and Senator Ahmed Makarfi, warned that the party would only succeed in 2019″ if it gets the forthcoming national convention right”
The duo spoke at the opening session of the BoT meeting of the Party in Abuja yesterday.
Ekweremadu noted that the issue of who becomes the Chairman of the party was so critical, adding that if the party failed to get it right it would affect the chances of the party in 2019.
According to him, “We have gone through trial, through wilderness but we are now out of it and heading to the promise land. It is expected that the BOT will play a prominent role in guiding the party, otherwise, we may never get to the promise land
“2019 is almost here, so let us not seat back and say we are watching what will happen. We can’t afford to remain in the opposition after 2019 (God forbid). So, I want to appeal that going forward, we should have more meetings and more consultations to ensure that we make minimal mistakes and avoid the mistakes we made in the past
“As we approach the convention to elect our national officers, I want to appeal that the BOT must show more than a passive interest in who becomes what. Because the issue of who becomes the Chairman is so critical that if we don’t get it right, nothing will happen in the aspect of the President. We should have the type of National Working Committee we would be proud of, to direct our party very well.”
On his own, Makarfi also said that getting the Convention right would determine if the party would succeed in 2019.
The Chairman, who pointed out that it was not yet Uhuru for the party, made reference to the issues that came out from the last Convention, saying, “we have to get it right because this is what will determine whether we succeed in 2019. We are working on the time table for the convention. We will consult and brief the BOT.”
Makarfi warned that PDP must avoid sycophants, insisting that everybody could be carried along, as such could boomerang on the party.
He cautioned those, who have not made up their minds to join the party to do so, as PDP is not waiting for anybody.
According to him,” while we reconcile and accommodate, we are not waiting for an individual to make up his mind.”
He also warned that the party is ready to wield the big stick on any erring member, adding, “We are now prepare to discipline any erring member that work against the interest of the party.”
However the meeting where a new Secretary for the Board in replacement of the Late Chief Ojo Maduekwe could have emerged was put off due to lack of quorum.
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