Be careful with defectors, Makarfi warns PDP leaders

Ahmed Makarfi, former governor of Kaduna state, has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to thread with caution in admitting defectors into the party.

Makarfi, who is a presidential aspirant of the party in the 2019 election, gave the caution on Friday in Lokoja, Kogi state capital.

He was in the state to solicit the support for his presidential ambition.

Many key figures in the All Progressives Congress (APC) had last week dumped the ruling party for the opposition.

Makarfi said while everyone is welcome to the PDP, the party should be careful not to give “the impression that it doesn’t pay to be loyal”.

He said the party should take care not to allow a scenario where a visitor is given the guest room but later demands the masters room, consequently leading to the owner evacuating the house for the visitor.

He said accommodation of defectors should be balanced to cater for the interest of all party members, lest some members be alienated.

“Everybody is welcome but we must be careful so we don’t give the impression that it doesn’t pay to be loyal. We must be careful how we accommodate and integrate those that are defecting to the party. It must be balanced in a way that the interest of everybody is taken care of,” Makarfi said.

“Some people when you pinch them like this, they will run to another party. When the going was tough, I stayed on… but you accept them into your house and give them your guest room. Next, they take the Master bedroom; next, they drive you out of your house. We must not allow this, we must not give undue advantage to them, so that we do not alienate our people.

“PDP must never allow that kind of thing to happen. Let them come in and enjoy the privileges but you must know what to give and what not to give.”