If I leave PDP, I would quit politics, says Makarfi

Ahmed Makarfi says he will not defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if he fails to win the party’s ticket for the 2019 presidential election.

Makarfi said he would rather quit politics, instead of joining any other political party.

The former PDP chairman said this on Saturday while addressing journalists at the PDP secretariat in Minna, the Niger state capital.

NAN reports that Makarfi is in Minna to drum up support for his presidential bid.

“If I leave PDP, I would leave politics. If I was to leave PDP, I could have defected a long time ago. So that possibility is not there,” he said

The one-time governor of Kaduna said he predicted the recent mass defections to PDP, adding that the biggest challenge is managing it.

He said: “I welcome all the defectors and as a matter of fact I predicted it. I said it that after the APC convention you would see a lot of defections and that’s what has happened.

“But the challenge is how to manage it. If we manage it well, the party would be better for it but if we don’t we may run into problems.”

Makarfi said Bukola Saraki should be left alone as Senate President because he has not breached any provision of the constitution on account of his defection from APC to PDP.

“The constitution says the senators should elect from among themselves and not from the majority party,” he said.

“Party affiliations are only attached to other positions like minority whip, majority leader and so on.

“Therefore, Saraki should be left alone because he was elected based on constitutional provisions and his continued stay is lawful.”

He noted that addressing issues of insecurity, unemployment, power, infrastructure and national unity would be his top priorities if given the chance to lead the country.

“A basket of issues including security, infrastructure and power would be top of my priorities,” he said.

“National cohesion is also key because we are divided and getting more divided by the day.

“And this national cohesion is where the issue of restructuring comes in as it will address unemployment.”