The National Secretary, Caretaker Committee of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ben Obi has described Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling that affirmed Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic National Chairman of the party as a judgment for democracy and political parties in general.

While addressing journalists in Awka on Saturday, Obi said that the judgement had put to bed all doubts as to who wields the power to control the soul of the party, adding that with the court issue over the PDP is more focused and prepared to pursue the 2019 presidential election vigorously.

Obi stressed that the party is already working towards reconciling all aggrieved party members with a view to having a common front to take back power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The truth of the matter is that since the commencement of the crisis that engulfed the party in May 2016, all the organs of the party had remained with the Caretaker Committee that was set up by virtue of the party’s Constitution at the convention.

“Attempting to usurp the Constitution is in futility; and graciously the Supreme Court judgment has re-affirmed that position in no unmistakable terms,” he stated.

The PDP chiefatin however criticised the style adopted by the ruling party in fighting corruption, saying that the pursuit of corruption was not balanced.

In his words: “What has APC done since coming on board, except the acclaimed fight against corruption? But, even at that, the pursuit of corruption is not balanced and it’s not thorough. That is why they have not won any case since the pursuit and prosecution of corrupt persons.

“PDP in Anambra State has always been the solid block and as a large party with many destinies, we will involve every member of the party that supported the caretaker committee but are still nursing any grudge in the reconciliation process and moving ahead in the interest of a vibrant opposition.

“A lot of positive decisions have been taken and our business is to get APC out.

“Our biggest problem used to be INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission). One thing the PDP did from (Umaru) Yar’Adua administration and that of (Goodluck) Jonathan was to sanitise the electoral process completely and every politician now started to say: 'go and campaign because votes counted in the entire process.' That was why the world applauded the 2011 and 2015 elections as the best. But since APC came to power they tried to interfere in affairs of INEC and it almost crumbled.

“We expect now that INEC will keep to the tradition of free, credible and violent free election which PDP put in place.”

While describing PDP as the only political party in the country and APC as the conglomeration of strange bed fellows who are only desperate to grab power, the former Special Adviser to former President Jonathan on Inter-party Affairs noted that every institution of governance that is on display presently were all founded by the PDP.

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