Erstwhile Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi has declared that the party has the capacity to manage any impending crisis that may arise as a result of the defections into the party.
Makarfi, a presidential aspirant under the party, spoke in Akure, the Ondo State capital, during a sensitization visit to the leaders of the party in the state.
The former Kaduna Governor, who was in the state, to solicite support in respect of his ambition, emphasised that necessary mechanisms have been put in place to address defection issues.
“The leadership of our party has all it takes to handle any challenge that may come as a result of the development.
“There is nothing good without its challenges. Our party needs new members and we appreciate the defection of some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) into our party, but this may come with its own challenges as many of them may also signify an intention to contest for political offices.
“However, the leadership of the party has the wisdom to handle such a situation, and we won’t allow it to divide us.”
On the threat by the APC senators to impeach the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Makarfi berated the lawmakers for not being abreast of the constitutional requirements needed for such task.
“I am not surprised with their actions, it shows their ignorance about the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because the constitution is clear about that. If they are familiar with the constitution they will know that they lack the legal powers to impeach the Senate President.
“I am sure they cannot have the two-thirds majority which the constitution requires for the impeachment of the Senate President. Our members in the Senate are intelligent people who will not give lawlessness a place in the Senate,” he said.
He said the defection of the Senate President to the PDP does not prevent him from holding office as the number 3 citizen of the country, adding that the constitution did not indicate that the Senate President must come from the ruling party.
“I will refer the APC senators to the constitution for better understanding of the laws of our country,” Makarfi said.
Also, the presidential hopeful suggested the restructuring of the country, saying that the country needs total restructuring in order to develop and advance its economy.
He assured that the PDP will ensure that the country is restructured when the party takes over the helms of affairs in the country, adding that the party has a solution to the problem of insecurity confronting the nation.
“The policy of the PDP is restructuring and I can assure you that we will restructure this country. The Police will be restructured, so also the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Each political party must have a representative in INEC and that is what the PDP will do if we take over the government,” he said.
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