Makarfi: When PDP takes over in 2019, we will not be vindictive

Ahmed Makarfi, caretaker committee chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has said the opposition party will not be vindictive when it “takes over” the presidency in 2019.

Speaking with journalists on Friday in Kaduna, Makarfi said the anti-corruption efforts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration will be fully appraised “when they leave office”.

According to Makarfi, the war against corruption has mostly targeted opposition parties, which he says, puts its success in jeopardy.

He said: “On the issue of corruption, we will be able to assess the APC government when they leave office. By 2019, when we take over, we are not going to be vindictive. But the truth will prevail.

“Who told you there are no series of petitions against them as they are in office right now? When they leave office, we will see what will come up. We will know whether corruption is something limited to one political party. We are not doing justice to the fight against corruption when we try to politicise it.”

Makarfi added that corruption is not limited to politicians, saying it is a Nigerian problem.

“Take a look at the private sector, those the EFCC has charged to court, no politician has been tried or taken to court for anything near that. If you try to just narrow corruption to only politicians from the opposition parties, we are undermining the fight against corruption. We should look at it holistically together as Nigerians,” he said.

“I am also referring you to an official government report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) which pointed out leading agencies or institutions on the corruption index, and they are all public institutions manned by public servants and not politicians.”