National Caretaker Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has debunked reports that some aspirants for the position of the national chairman of the party may be dropped because they are being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to him, there is no truth in the report and in the wider sense, nobody is proven guilty until he is convicted by a competent court. So it is all politics and we must be careful not to play into the hands of the opposition which may seize the opportunity and start pinning cases on PDP members to the extent that there will be nobody to present as candidate.

Senator Makarfi said this while receiving Otunba Gbenga Daniel and his team who paid him a courtesy call.

He also dissociated the leadership of the PDP from the allegation that the convention may be postponed for paucity of funds. “The allegation is not true. PDP is a committed political party and not after money. It is not all about money. We can always provide for the logistics in any election or convention,” he said.

Also on the alleged shortlisting of some candidates by the Southwest Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Makarfi said it is only the National Caretaker Committee of the party that can talk on the conduct of the convention and the caretaker committee headed by him has never issued or affirmed such statement. “We have never affirmed that and nobody was delegated to say so. At the PDP caucus meeting held last week, the BoT said categorically that they didn’t say so,” he said.

Expressing his satisfaction on the on-going chairmanship campaign, Makarfi enjoined aspirants to observe decorum in the course of their campaign devoid of negative campaign because, at the end of the day, only one person will win and all aspirants will accept the result of a free fair convention.

“I assure you that the PDP will provide a level playing field and it is our collective resolve that PDP will be the winner at the end of the day and not an individual. We are all one large family,” Makarfi said.

He then lauded Otunba Gbenga Daniel for his gentlemanliness and humility during the course of his nationwide campaign. “I’ve never heard you use any foul language or mudsling other aspirants and that is how it should be.

“I assure you that we shall organise a just, fair and transparent convention that will bring out the best and promote unity among all,” Makarfi said.

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