One of the presidential aspirants under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has cautioned the Peoples Democratic Party against picking a candidate that has money against a trustworthy candidate with integrity and goodwill.

Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna State, who spoke in Bénin City, Edo State, while addressing Edo PDP delegates said certain criteria should be used to eliminate some aspirants from the race.
He, therefore, urged the delegates of the party to vote wisely at the forthcoming party primaries if they want to garner votes in the presidential election.

The former senator disclosed that he is traveling round the country on road in the course of his campaigns to have a mental state of roads and infrastructural situation across the country.
This, he stated, was to enable him not to waste time in addressing the problems when he is elected president of the country.

The PDP presidential aspirant, however, cautioned that the role he played to stabilise the PDP should not give him automatic presidential ticket, adding that he did not defect from the PDP in 2015 even when he knew he would lose the election.
According to him, “That I did service to the party should not give me any automatics right. Every other member of the party should have equal right to come and seek for this ticket and go around and communicate with you.

“That is why I do not take my campaigns by air. I go by road to take mental note of roads condition across the country. That made me not to waste time as Governor to address the infrastructural needs of Kaduna State. That is why I am loved by the people of Kaduna.

“I am also taking mental note as I canvass for support of party men and women to nominate me as the party’s candidate.
“I knew I was going to lose election in 2015. My former chairman told me to leave the PDP but I said no. I told those that want to leave to go but that they will come back. I decided to contest and loose. I didn’t think about myself but about those that looked up to us as leaders. We need to be there for the party and do whatever we need to do for the party because someday you win, someday you lose.

“I stayed with the party I will continue to stay with you. All of us are qualified, and when you have so many people qualified, you have to use criteria for elimination. When using those criteria, you end up using location which is my own.

“People say Markafi does not have money then go and sell yourselves. Whatever comes to you don’t cry. I have not seen leaders that get responsibility because of the money he or she has. If you want to go out for money, go out for money. If you want to be a good leader choose public service.

“No past Leader of Nigeria became president because of the money he or she has. The issue is credibility and goodwill. I am not lacking in either credibility or goodwill. I know what I have until the décision is made. It is a choice the party will not regret taking.
“If you put a credible trustworthy individual, votes will come from all nooks and crannies but if you do otherwise people will pull away and no one individual can stand alone. Let us vote wisely.”

•Sourced from a THISDAY report

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