He alleged that Sheriff was planning to be the presidential candidate of the party in 2019. Makarfi said this was why the former governor of Borno State was unable to deny the allegation when confronted by journalists at his press briefing in Abuja on Monday.
Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna State, spoke with journalists in Abuja through the spokesperson for the committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, on Tuesday.
Sheriff had said that though he would not vie for the office of the national chairman of the party at its national convention, he however said that only God would determine his 2109 move.
Adeyeye said that Sheriff’s refusal to deny his presidential ambition was a confirmation that the former governor was positioning himself for the PDP ticket.
The former minister of state for works said, “Yesterday, while addressing journalists, the former Borno State governor clearly stated that he’s interested in contesting the 2019 presidential election using the platform of our party, the PDP.
“We said it earlier, but most non-party members as well as some members of the party who could not see beyond the curtains didn’t believe it, but we were sure that Senator Sheriff was holding the party to ransom because he wanted to hijack the party and use it for his selfish interest.
“Now, the truth has been revealed. Senator Sheriff has told the entire world that his fight for the soul of the PDP was to achieve a set objective which he has been working towards since January 2016 when he was appointed to office just to complete the tenure of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur cum Adamu Mu’azu who resigned having led the party to electoral failure in 2015.”
Adeyeye said that the statement by Sheriff that God would determine his 2019 move had shown he was not interested in conducting a crisis-free national convention.
He said, “The National Caretaker Committee had raised the concern that Senator Sheriff was not interested in conducting a convention that will be in the interest of the party and all party members but was planning a convention that will put his cronies in critical party positions who will then rubber-stamp his candidacy when the time to pick the PDP candidate for 2019 presidential election comes.
“We are worried that some important party leaders also could not see beyond the facade, tagging along with Senator Sheriff as he drags the party through the mud in his bid at achieving his selfish ambition.
“We hope perceptible minds in the party can now see why it is extremely dangerous to trust Sheriff with the organisation of any convention.
“We know quite well that a Sheriff as the presidential candidate of the PDP will be a real delight for the All Progressives Congress. That’s as good as having your sparring partner as your opponent in a major bout.
“We want to make a serious contention for power in 2019. We don’t want to field a candidate who is the captain of the second team of the ruling party.”
Meanwhile, both camps also traded words on the party’s leadership case pending at the Supreme Court.
Punch
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