Peoples Democratic Party , where, it is widely believed, he would seek the 2019 presidential ticket, may not ease off soon.
Since his defection to the party about two weeks ago, political alignments and realignments have been ongoing within the
PDP and between some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC ) and some PDP members.
Although the then PDP leadership under former Kaduna State governor, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, was alleged to have provided him a “soft landing” by dissolving the Adamawa State caretaker committee, to enable Atiku’s men take over the structure of the party while still hanging on in the APC at the time, the statement from the party’s leadership shortly after his defection that there was no automatic ticket for the Adamawa-born politician is a clear indication that Atiku is not likely to get the ticket on a gold platter.
Neither would his ambition dim the light on the aspiration of other members of the party, who are also believed to be interested in seeking the presidential ticket.
Interestingly, the Makarfi was the first man who came out in the open to say that Atiku posed no threat to any of the presidential hopefuls on the platform of the PDP.
Although he has not formally signified interest in the race, Sunday Sun can authoritatively confirm that Makarfi will run.
Barely 72 hours to the PDP national convention, there had been reports in sections of the media insinuating Makarfi had interest in seeking to fly the PDP’s flag in 2019. Makarfi dismissed the insinuation in the media reports as not true.
In a statement signed on his behalf by his spokesman, Mukhtar Zubairu Sirajo, the former Kaduna State governor said: “The fact is that the senator was asked what threat the return of Atiku Abubakar to the party portends to the aspirations of others who had either made their intentions known or those, who, like him were rumoured to be nursing such ambition.
“His answer was that Atiku’s return would not, in any way adversely affect the rights of any
member of the party to aspire to any position, adding that there were no preconditions to the return as Atiku Abubakar did not ask for, neither did the party offer any concessions to him beforehand.
“Senator Ahmed Makarfi wishes to assure the teeming members and supporters of the PDP and indeed the entire country that his own major preoccupation at the moment is to discharge the responsibility given to him to lead the process of repositioning the party, which he hopes will culminate in the conduct of a very credible and transparent convention. This is what matters the most to him at this moment.”
After the convention penultimate Saturday, sources close to him confirmed to Sunday Sun that he would indeed run and that he would make the intention known at the appropriate time.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment