PEOPLE’S Democratic Party (PDP) National Caretaker Chairman Ahmed Makarfi has barred caretaker committee members from seeking elective party positions in their various states.
Makarfi issued the order in Abuja yesterday while inaugurating the party’s caretaker committees for Lagos and Kwara states.
Mr. Tunde Osolake was announced as the chairman of the caretaker committee for Lagos State and Mr. Tunde Akindehin emerged the caretaker chairman for Kwara State.
According to him, seeking party elective offices while serving as caretaker committee members could confer undue advantage and lead to conflict of interests among such aspirants.
The chairman had similarly barred himself and other members of his caretaker committee from seeking any of the elective party positions at the national level in the forthcoming national convention.
He enjoined the caretaker committee members to be guided by the principles of fairness, mutual accommodation and the knowledge that power comes only from God.
“Power comes from God. In whatever we do, let us be guided by this singular knowledge. You can’t be too smart for God. You can’t be too rich or too poor. You must always have mutual accommodation for one another. This guiding principle will make it easier for us to live with one another,” Makarfi counselled.
The chairman urged the committee members to brace up to the enormous responsibilities ahead, which he said included the setting up of local government and ward caretaker committees as well as preparations for the congresses at the two levels.
He reminded them that the real politicking is at the ward and local government levels, where those vying for offices at the forthcoming congresses ought to make themselves known to the electorate with their policies and programmes.
“So, you can begin the more difficult job. Your responsibility is to set up local government and ward caretaker committees. That is where the real politicking is,” he said.
Other states where caretaker committees have been set up by the national leadership include Anambra, Borno, Kebbi and Ogun.
The party chair said caretaker committees will also be set up in Adamawa and Osun states in the next few days.