The immediate past national caretaker chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Ahmed Makarfi, has said if he wins the party’s 2019 presidential ticket, he will defeat the incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari.
Mr Makarfi, who recently threw his hat into the ring, said the PDP will effectively tackle insecurity headlong and would not politicise security matters if allowed to return to the slot it lost during the 2015 presidential polls.
Mr Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna State, stated this Wednesday in Jos, at the Plateau State PDP secretariat.
He said he was in the state to formally solicit the support of Plateau PDP delegates.
Mr Makarfi, while enumerating his plans for the nation, if elected, said his administration ”will have the listening ears of traditional, community and religious leaders”.
“Our government shall be an all-inclusive one. We will work hand-in-hand with traditional, community and religious leaders for maximum success.”
He lamented increasing cases of kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes.
Earlier, in his address, the PDP chairman in the state, Damishi Sango, assured Mr Makarfi of ”total support from Plateau delegates”.
Mr Sango, a former minister of sports, reminded party faithful that Mr Makarfi ”salvaged PDP from the hands of Ali Modu Sheriff (a former PDP chairman)”.
“We will not forget in a hurry how Ahmed Makarfi saved our dear party from the hands of Sheriff and his gang when he was appointed national caretaker chairman.
“We desire someone like Makarfi, who chased out Sheriff from the national secretariat of PDP, to also chase out President Muhammadu Buhari from Aso rock,” he said.
The 17 PDP local government party chairmen in the state, who are statutory delegates to the party’s convention were present during the visit.
Former Plateau State PDP chairman, Dukun Shun, and other special delegates were also present.
Mr Makarfi was accompanied to the secretariat by the Kaduna State PDP chairman, Hassan Hyet, alongside many supporters.
