2019: Buhari will be defeated if he contests, say PDP ex-Ministers

…Accuses APC of polarizing Nigerians along regional, tribal, ethnic religiuos divides

…Pass vote of confidence to Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee

Former Ministers, who served under the past Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, administration in the country, have confidently declared that President Muhammad Buhari will be defeated if he contest the 2019 presidential election.

The former PDP Ministers, who wished the President a speedy recovery, equally accused the governing All progressive Congress (APC) of polarizing the nation along regional, tribal, ethnic and religious divides.

The Ministers, who came together under the aegisof PDP Ministers’ Forum , at the end of their meeting in Abuja, passed a vote of confidence on the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee, NCC, of the party and former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi for doing a good job.

While addressing Journalists at the end of their meeting, while lasted dor some hours, the Chairman of the Forum and former Minister of Special Duties, Barrister Tanimu Kabiru Turaki said, “People behave differently to different situation. We are not unaware of the point President Muhammadu Buhari made when Yar Adua was sick. For us as former ministers forum, we wish him speedy recovery.

“We want him to come back and continue the job for which he persistently fought to be elected for and for which he was elected. We want him to come and continue because we want to defeat President Muhammad Buhari in the 2019 election and not anybody else.”

The Chairman of the forum assured, concretely, that no matter what happens to PDP, they will remain committed to the ideals and vision of the party.
his words, “we believe very sure that the judgement of the supreme court which is coming sometime next week will unite the party more than dividing us.”

In its communique issued at the end of the meeting and read by Turaki, the Forum resolved “to remain committed to the ideals of visions and mission of the PDP and we are determined to join other organs of the party in revitalising the party into a virile and more constructive opposition.”

The Forum condemned what it called the insecurity in the country and the inept leadership of APC.

It observed with great concern”the deteriorating security situation in this country particularly the increasing spate of kidnapping, armed robbery and the unchecked menace of herdsmen that regularly kill rape and vandalized farmlands across the communities.

According to the communique, “The forum also notes that as a result of the inept leadership of the APC led federal government in Nigeria that Nigerians have never been so polarizer along regional, tribal, ethnic religious and other divides and we feel that this is really most unfortunate.

“PDP made the supreme sacrifice to make Nigeria one and ensured that our indivisibility as a people and as a country was not compromised and that was why our presidential candidate in the 2015 election conceded defeat to President Muhammad Buhari which singular act,contrary to the expectation of pessimists, that Nigeria remained one country.”

The Forum, however condemned the recent invasion of the house of former Vice President, Architect Namadi Sambo, adding, “the forum ones again wish to condemn in very clear terms the persecution and decimation of the opposition and the unwarranted invasion of the residence of the immediate past Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Arc Namadi Sambo and the continued harassment and detention of key members of the oppostion party. The APC government should be alive and up their responsibility as a government to Nigerians.”

The Forum calls for urgent meeting of all organs of the party to harmonize all necessary strategies to consolidate the party and unite all efforts particularly in the buildup to the 2019 general election, “which we hope we will get a resounding victory by the special grace of God.”

It passed a vote of confidence on Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the party and also commended the various efforts by the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), Governors Forum, National Assembly caucus, Jerry Gana led Strategic Review Committee for the repositioning of the party.