Still basking in the euphoria of Wednesday’s victory at the Supreme Court, the Ahmed Makarfi-led Peoples Democratic Party PDP has begun moves to shoot itself back into public reckoning and dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2019 general elections.
Though Makarfi had in the aftermath of the Wednesday court victory which sacked his rival, Modu Sheriff, asked the APC to begin to prepare its hand over notes, he did not however disclose how the PDP intends to wrest power from the APC.
Vanguard reports that the PDP, among other plans, will use the APC’s manifesto against it.
“The APC had at least 81 promises in its manifesto. Among all the things the party promised, how many has it achieved? The promises were mere propaganda tools which unfortunately many people bought into because some of our colleagues in government under Jonathan also lost focus and were too detached from the people.
So, today we intend to benchmark those promises and then take the APC up on its own words”, said a former key minister under the Goodluck Jonathan administration who did not want his name in print for fear of a backlash from the current administration as he is presently facing prosecution by the anti-graft agency.
He said, “the PDP will also zone its presidential ticket to the north knowing that President Muhammadu Buhari might be too ill to recontest in 2019.
The PDP will beat any other person including Buhari if he stands for re-election because Nigerians have seen through the lies of his party and can now judge better, having tasted the soup of two wives”.
The former minister added that the PDP has learned useful lessons and will ensure that in order to move, it practises internal democracy.
“Printing only one presidential ticket, and therefore excluding others, was perhaps one of the major reasons we lost the 2015 presidential election. By the time we are able to put our house in order, we will ensure that there is nothing like imposition, especially beginning with our forthcoming national convention. We shall improve on our reward system so that party members are rewarded for their contributions unlike what the APC is doing now to its members”, he said.
On the fate of Sheriff, the ex-minister added that the PDP was already trying to reconcile all the parties to the dispute, but added that the Makarfi-led caretaker committee could wield the big stick on those who refuse to abide by the rules of the party.
“Makarfi is like that small Fulani boy who guides a herd of cattle from Daura to Ibadan. He has the rod. People are expected to shape in or shape out, otherwise it will not be out of place to suspend or outrightly expel those who may want to drag the party back”, he added.
