Makarfi Committee Gets More Backing, As PDP Senators, Reps Gives Full Support

Federal lawmakers elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday disclosed that National Assembly is now the Presidential Villa of the opposition party.

This was just as the caucus, made up of Senators and House of Representatives members officially endorsed the Caretaker Committee of the party, headed by a former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

The PDP since May 21 had been in leadership crisis.

The Board of Trustees officially handed over party’s secretariat to Makarfi on Tuesda‎y.

Speaking on behalf of the caucus, the Minority Leader of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, described what ‎happened to the party as just a storm in the tea cup, insisting that there is no division in the PDP. ‎

Akpabio’s words: “For Nigerians who might have thought that we are finished as a party,  the reality is that what has happened is just a storm in the tea  cup.

“There is no division in the PDP.

“It is one.

“We are very impressed that you have manouvered the entire BoT,  the conscience of the party, with the National Assembly caucus, which led you to the office in a very glorious manner.

“The authority, including the security agencies, respected the decision of the convention, assisted and withdrew all arsenal to let you into the National Secretariat.

“For you to take this step of coming to consult with the real elected people, the real elected representatives of the PDP in Nigeria today, the National Assembly, we are the one at the national level, we don’t have the Villa, this is our villa, the National Assembly is our villa.

“That’s the simple truth.

“Your first major task is to bring your committee members to consult with the Villa.

“We will support you in every action.”

Akpabio, who commended the Caretaker Committee’s giant stride, said the members of the committee were chosen on merit.

He said: “We not only applaud your strides, we identify with your actions so far and to reiterate the fact that you were all chosen based on merit on the mere fact that you have experience, capacity, capabilities to take us from the current quagmire.

“As a Senate, we are very proud of you so far, how you have navigated to bring about peace.

“You told Nigerians unequivocally that you were not elected national chairman but a committee set up in line with the constitution of the party.

“That showed clearly that PDP is a party that believes in the rule of law.

“The party has the power to set up any committee, including the Central Working Committee, even assign the functions of the National Convention to that committee, which was the case with your committee.

“We are in support of you and we ask you to exercise all the powers we vested on you in Port Harcourt that you have taken over as the NWC.

“You have the authority of the convention, you have authority to even take us to the next convention and enhance the popularity and acceptability of the PDP.”