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Tag: Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi

  • Makarfi: he gave his all to Nigeria

    Makarfi: he gave his all to Nigeria

    Former Kaduna State Governor, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, said former President Muhammadu Buhari dedicated his life to the service of Nigeria.

    Makarfi, in a condolence message he signed, said he received with “deep shock but total submission to the will of Allah”.

    The former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), noted that Buhari’s decades-long contributions to the nation — spanning military and civilian leadership — would not be forgotten by generations of Nigerians.

    Read Also: Buhari: Nigeria has lost a true patriot — Osinbajo

    “From the fight he fought for the preservation of the unity and integrity of the country as a young officer of the Nigerian Army, to his stints as Military Governor of the then North Eastern and later Borno State, Minister of Petroleum, GOC, Head of State, Executive Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund, and most recently as a two-term President, he demonstrated total commitment to Nigeria and humanity,” Makarfi said.

  • Senator Makarfi loses father

    Former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi has lost his father.

    The deceased, Alhaji Muhammad Na’iya Makarfi, who held the traditional title of Majidadin Zazzau died Tuesday in Makarfi town of Kaduna State at the age of 99.

    He was buried on Tuesday evening according to Islamic rites.

    A statement by Makarfi’s personal aide, Mukhtar Zubairu  Sirajo, said:”The death has occurred of Alhaji Muhammad Na’iya Makarfi. The deceased, who also held the traditional title of Majidadin Zazzau died today in Makarfi town of Kaduna at the age of 99.

    Read Also: APC wins Makarfi State Assembly seat in Kaduna

    “He is survived by two wives, many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Among his children is Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, one time Governor of Kaduna State and former Chairman of the National Care taker Committee of the People’s Democratic Party.

    “He has been buried according to Islamic injunctions”.

  • ‘Don’t burst bubble, you don’t have immunity against calamity’

    A leading Presidential Aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi has warned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to avoid bursting the bubble capable of truncating Nigeria’s democracy.

    He condemned what he termed as intimidation of the opposition, saying that, “I am cautioning APC, they should not be smiling and grinning, we must never burst this bubble. They should not be carried away by the comfort of power, and think that they are immune from calamity.”

    Makarfi, former Kaduna State Governor and 2-term Senator (Kaduna North), also said that Nigeria’s survival will depend on how the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies conduct the 2019 general elections, saying that their conduct may mar or make the nation’s peace.

    Makarfi who spoke to Journalists in Kaduna on Monday said INEC must conduct free and fair general elections in 2019, just as he urged the security agencies to be professional in their conduct.

    The former governor who scored both INEC and security agencies very low in their performances so far, noted that, their conducts could make and mar the country either before, during and after the elections.

    The former Caretaker Committee Chairman of PDP noted that this could spell doom for the nation as the action or inaction of these two agencies could threaten the country’s peace and survival.

    Speaking on the APC led government, Makarfi urged the government to desist from intimidating or harassing opposition governors, saying that, they should always remember that there tomorrow as, ‘What goes around comes around.

    Read Also: 2019: Atiku visits Makarfi

    He said, the sitting government should not use the comfort of power to denigrate PDP governors, saying, PDP governors, aspirants must be allowed to operate according to the dictates of the country’s constitution.

    He said, “I was shocked when I saw the news in an online medium that the 2019 elections may be postponed, but thank God, I later saw INEC coming out to deny making such pronouncement. That not withstanding, that was the most dangerous news I ever read, that was very reckless.

    “You see, the interest of Nigeria is larger than interest of any of us. How we conduct this elections and how we manage this electoral process will largely determine the fate of Nigeria.

    “INEC and the security agencies must know that, the fate of this country squarely lies on their shoulders. It is not even about history being kind to them, it is about how they will end up. Therefore, they must conduct free, fair and credible elections.

    “When you see some moves like freezing of accounts, monitoring of opposition Governors. Because, I have never heard where an APC Governor’s account is being frozen. If Governors do certain things, is it only PDP Governors? The APC Governors may be doing worse, but you never hear that happens to any APC Governor. While elections are approaching, you don’t hear of APC members, aspirants accounts being frozen. But here (in PDP), even accounts of family members of aspirants are being frozen. They should remember that, there is tomorrow, because what goes around comes around and questioning that, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. If you are doing anything to anybody, do it to everybody. Our governors must be left alone to work, our aspirants must be left alone to do their politicking and campaign unmolested like other aspirants.

    “From what I am seeing, I am not comfortable, and if Nigerians keep quiet, then it is like harbouring what is wrong. People must speak out. If it happens to someone today, it can happen to you tomorrow. You don’t have to be in politics, but it means, once you dissent, anything can happen to you. As journalists, yours is to report but once you keep on reporting objectively, then something can happen to you.

    “So, for me, I think INEC and security agencies have a lot to do and so far, I am not impressed, but they must remember that the fate of Nigeria lies squarely on their shoulders. PDP and other political parties will do what is right.

    “I am cautioning APC, they should not be smiling and grining, we must never burst this bubble. They should not be carried away by the comfort of power, and think that they are immune from calamity.

    “We are all not immune from calamity; nobody knows when calamity will come. We all have a stake, we all have responsibility, be you PDP, APC or any other political party and especially INEC and security agencies and other agencies that are used to muzzle down the opposition, they must remember that the country comes first, not any government or political party”.

  • I won’t run again if I lose presidential ticket – Makarfi

    Former Kaduna State Governor and Presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, in this interview with select journalists in Kaduna said he can’t leave PDP even if he fails to get presidential ticket. He said he will go into semi retirement and not seek positions again. Abdulgafar Alabelewe was there.

    There has been gale of defections from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to your party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). How do you feel now?

    I have long predicted these defections many months back. When we were going through difficulties and people were losing hopes, and I was asked similar question as far back as last year (2017), my reply was that the time for defection from APC and other parties to the PDP will be coming and it happened. I predicted it correctly and I am not surprised. Personally, I feel happy that it has taken place. It is also not the end of it (defection). We have seen the first wave and we expect more defections to follow, especially because of the reaction of the APC and its government. Some (defectors) will buy their time and do it at a later day. You know, it happened to us in the PDP. It happened to one and it will happen to the other. It is a matter of time. Personally, I am happy that we are getting returnees back and getting new party members, especially new people that have never been in the PDP before and the party should be prepared for a lot more to come in. Of course, every positive thing comes with challenges. The challenge will be integrating all the party men and women (the returnees and those they met in the party). But I am equally happy that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party has set up machinery which has been working day and night to bring a smooth integration and harmonization of interests of party men and women in states that are more heavily affected by the defection. That is how politics is played – constructive engagement and that constructive engagement is still going on and I believe at the end of the day, people will accommodate each other in the overall interest of the party.

    Talking about defectors, harmonization and integration of returnees is ongoing, how has it being, especially as one of them is already contemplating joining the presidential race?

    Well, you see, it depends on the way you look at this particular issue. What I have been made to understand, which is the true position of the party, because I did discuss with the committee on the harmonization and I did discuss with the party leadership; that, where you have a sitting Governor coming into the party with all his apparatus of government, certain parameters of integration were agreed upon to do with the state, it’s not something to do with the nation. You get my point? And where he is a Senator, certain parameters to do with his Senatorial zone were agreed upon, or state assembly or even House of Representatives. But, I think some are misinterpreting this to be wider than what the intended purpose is. Because for example if you are in the House of Representatives, looking for Senate, it does not apply to your ambition for Senate, because it relates to your current position, it does not relate to any other position that you are looking for beyond your current position. And this is worth discussing dialoguing and ironing out issues with all involved.

    Even here in Kaduna, later today, I have called for a meeting of key leaders of the party that are around, so that, we can see how politically we can bring about hitch-free integration of returnees into the party without causing any unnecessary disruption that can be counterproductive.

    There are many presidential aspirants in the PDP and recently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin was talking about bringing all aspirants to a round table to discuss the possibility of a consensus candidate. How do you react to that?

    You don’t rule out anything in politics. First of all I have not read that statement of BoT chairman, I have not even discussed it with him. Assuming he made the statement, politics requires discussion and dialoguing.

    Such dialoguing and discussion may produce what the BoT chairman is alleged to have said. It may also just reduce the people in the field. I had also propagated the need for us to come together to talk to one another and see how we can bring unity among all of us because we are stronger united, divided we will become quite weak and we will just become picky dogs and that is something that we must avoid.

    How we get there I can’t say, you have many ways you can get there. I am not asking or forcing anyone to pull out of the race, but I am of course for dialoguing amongst ourselves and other leaders and to see, irrespective of who emerges as the candidate, all others would rally around the eventual candidate to work as one.

    If all of has to do primaries, let’s go with the understanding that we will all work together for the eventual winner. So it is good to talk, I will be prepared to talk in any discussion that will bring unity amongst us.

    I can’t say what I will do or not do at this particular stage, but I have not been summoned for any particular meeting.  May be it is just an idea that the BoT chairman is saying it loud for others to hear, but politics is full of a lot of things and in the next few days we will see what will happen.

    What is your take on the claim that PDP should pick its presidential candidate from Katsina, Kano or Kaduna? 

    Well, that’s his personal view. One can only try to understand what his reason was. I have not discussed with him, but he may be thinking because of the high voters’ registration and large turnout usually seen in the zone. But that is not the position of the party. The position of the party is that the presidency is zoned to the 19 Northern States and FCT. So it is open to 19 Northern States and FCT aspirants from the zone. So whoever the party men and women find suitable from the zone as its presidential candidate, we will support him. It happens before when we see a presidential candidate comes from a small state and he was widely accepted, we supported him.  So Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso is expressing his personal opinion. It should not be construed to say that it is a right and only exclusively preserved for certain states. I don’t think he could have meant that but for me the position of the party is very clear.

    Would you want a contest or settle for consensus?

    I am open to either.  It is not what I want but what is achievable. We should subject ourselves to anyone that is widely acceptable to all of us.

    So far you have travelled to some states on consultation with stakeholders of your party over your presidential ambition, but what will you do, if you are not picked as the party’s candidate for the 2019 election?

    It is not the first time that I haven’t realised this ambition. Whatever will be the outcome, I will accept it in good faith, whether I emerge as the candidate or not; I mean whatever is the outcome, I will accept it in good faith. Anyway, I can contribute to the success of the party, what I can do, I will do, but the question is, will I leave the party and go to another party? I have said it repeatedly that if I leave PDP, I will politically go into semi retirement, by semi retirement, it means that you won’t find me contesting for elective office. I may still be a political player, playing whatever role that I could play, but at my age if I don’t get nominated now, you can imagine what my age will be at another chance.

    I don’t belong to those who think you should continue to seek electoral office irrespective of your age. What is the essence of Not-Too-Young-To-Run in this case? We should take every step to actualise laws that are good for our country. So definitely you may find me, not the active politics I am playing now, but definitely, not leaving the party that I am, but if I say I am leaving politics, I am leaving it for good. I won’t move to another party, for what?

  • Saraki’s continued stay as Senate President is constitutional – Makarfi 

    One of the Presidential Aspirants in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),  Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi has called on all those crucifying the Senate President, Bukola Saraki to leave him alone as his continued stay as Senate President irrespective of his party affiliation is lawful, constitutional and democratic.

    He said that Senator Bukola Saraki, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Yakubu Dogara were elected based on the provision of the constitution and not party based.

    Read Also:Offa robbery: Court orders service of summons on Saraki

    Speaking to newsmen during his visit to the PDP Secretariat in Minna on Saturday, Markafi told those who have been calling on Saraki and Dogara to vacate their seats to leave them alone.

    “The position of the presiding officers of the National Assembly, based on the constitution of Nigeria is an election of one among equals based on voting irrespective of party affliction. The constitution said that the Senators are to elect among themselves, it did not say that it must be from a majority party.

    “Positions tied to party affliction are the positions like majority and minority leaders and Chief Whips along with their deputies. Therefore Senator Bukola Saraki, Ike Ekweremadu and Dogara should be left alone because they are elected based on provision of the constitution and their continuing stay irrespective of the party they belong to is constitutional, it is lawful and it is democratic. ”

    Speaking further, the Presidential hopeful who expressed his delight over the recent defection to PDP said that, “We are still expecting more” but noted that the party would need to manage the defections well to ensure that there would be no fall out.

    He then said that all members of the PDP should be ready to make sacrifices for the peace and unity of the party.

  • Makarfi condemns police siege on Saraki, Ekweremadu

    Former Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the People’s Democratic Party PDP, Sen Ahmed Makarfi has condemned the siege laid by the police on the residences of the principal officers of the National Assembly, describing it as dangerous and a threat to democracy.

    Sen. Makarfi in a statement signed by his media aide, Murktar Sirajo, said the latest assault smacks of a breach of the tenets of presidential democracy.

    He cautioned that the nation’s parliamentarians should not be treated like common criminals because of their political difference.

    The statement reads: “Nigerians woke up again this morning to the rather very sad and disturbing incidences of the siege on the residences of Principal Officers of the National Assembly, by detachments of the Nigerian Police Force, obviously to stop them from presiding over the day’s session, which eventually witnessed the defection of some Senators from the ruling party.

    “Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi considers this assault on the leadership of the National Assembly, an independent arm of government and one of the legs of the tripod upon which the presidential system rests, as dangerous, primitive and one that constitutes a very serious threat to democracy in our country.

    “It is a clear breach of one of the fundamental tenets of Presidential democracy, which provides for separation of powers.

    Read Also: Ekiti Election: Makarfi urges security agencies to be neutral

    “It also constitutes a serious abuse of the fundamental human rights of the targeted individuals, both the presiding officers and the defectors respectively, because the right to associate is inalienable. Sadder still, is the fact that this impunity and crass disrespect to legality and constitutionality are being perpetrated under a government that is itself a beneficiary of respect for the rule of law by the then PDP government.

    “That the nation’s parliamentarians and their leadership could brazenly be treated like criminals under a democratic setting simply because of political differences is truly an unsettling descent into wanton abuse of power by those sworn to ‘preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’. This descent into the abyss must be halted and reversed.

    “These strong-arm tactic adopted by the Police is a setback to our developing democracy and a serious dent on the standing of Nigeria as a bastion of hope in the comity of democratic nations in Africa and it further accentuates the fears of many Nigerians that rather than consolidate on the gains of the 2015 transition, the nation’s democracy is not only stagnant, but being dangerously driven into the precipice by those who ordinarily, ought to know better.”This brazen abuse of power, underscores Senator Makarfi’s popular refrain of recent about the need to, as Nigerians respond to the cries of restructuring, look critically at institutions such as the police and others with a view to restructuring them to make them serve the state rather than continue to operate at the whims and caprices of political leaders.

    “Senator Makarfi appeals to Nigerians to remain peaceful but vigilant and do everything within the law to stand up against forces bent on reversing our democracy gains.

    “He equally calls on the Police and other security agencies to be professional in the discharge of their duties and never forget the fact that their loyalty is to the Nigerian nation, and not the holders of the levers of its political power, as there will always be a Tomorrow.

    “The Senator also welcomes the many Senators and members of the House of Representatives who have taken the wise decision to return home to the PDP and assure them of his personal commitment to play his own part, to ensure that the party truly welcomes them back.

  • 2019: Kaduna PDP endorses Makarfi for presidency

    Stakeholders of Kaduna State chapter of the major opposition political party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have endorsed two-term Governor and two-term Senator from the state, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi for the 2019 presidential race.

    Speaking on Monday at a brief stakeholders’ meeting with Makarfi, the State chairman of PDP, Dr. Hassan Hyet said there would be a change in the country come 2019 because PDP will reclaim power.

    Hyet said, “On that day we will not be the one to escort others to the seat of power, but others will be the one to escort Makarfi to Aso Rock as the elected President by the special grace of God”.

    He urged every party member to gear up towards achieving Makarfi’s presidential aspiration because he (Makarfi) over the years had stood his ground to ensure the unity of the party.

    “Today PDP is a household name in Nigeria because of the sacrifice the former governor made to ensure that the party remains as one united family”.

    He noted that despite court injunctions and political intimidations the party is still waxing stronger till date.

    He got the nod from the party’s stakeholders to accompany the presidential aspirant on consultation tours across the country as their formal endorsement of Makarfi.

    Responding, Senator Makarfi who is the immediate past national caretaker committee chairman of PDP said after consulting the party at national level about his political ambition, he decided to come home to Kaduna to intimate his supporters at the state level.

    Read Also: Why I want to be Nigeria’s President -Makarfi

    He however assured that if elected as president, he would stop killings and kidnappings across the country.

    He stressed that the entire Nigerians will be better off at his presidency because of his wealth of experience in governance.

    He said, “I have consulted the party and I thought it wise to come and meet my own base and the stakeholders to affirm to them, just as they read on the pages of Newspapers, even though, a formal declaration has not taken place where programmes and how they would be implemented would be read out.

    “But like I had earlier said, if nominated by the party and elected by Nigerians, my priorities would be the issue of insecurity and stopping the killings in the country. Addressing national unity and promotion of what binds us together, addressing the issue of unemployment and creation, as well as redistribution of wealth.

    “When you say you have raised our GDP by seven per cent, yes, is it possible, but who benefited from the increase? That is the question.

    “So, when you create wealth, it is only meaningful when it is legitimately and evenly distributed and you distribute wealth by creating employment. Good paying job, not temporary jobs that people are paid peanuts and you begin to wonder whether the money being paid is transport money or a living wage.

    “We must cut the cost of governance and redistribute that savings, so that, we create the middle class. Middle class in any society creates more wealth than the upper class; they create employment.

    “They will say PDP has done nothing, but we have record of performance everywhere. We have record of performance at legislative level and we have record of performance of managing diversity among party men and women.

    “This is home coming, so I am here so that you and I can take on the task beyond the shores of Kaduna State”. He said.

  • A toast to peoples’senator at 57

    A dinner was held for the former Kaduna State Governor and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi in commemoration of his 57th birthday in Kaduna. TONY AKOWE reports.

    IT was August 25, some 17 days after former Kaduna State Governor Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, who is now a Senator celebrated his 57th birthday. There was nothing to suggest that the dinner was to honour him for clocking 57.  The dinner was    a gathering of those who worked with Makarfi as governor. The invitation was terse “You have been invited to cover a dinner in honour of Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi”.  The decoration was simple and the hall was small. A large crowd descended in the small hall to the organisers’ surprise. Mukthar Sirajo, who was Makarfi’s Director of Press while in office as governor set the stage for the day’s event when he described the celebrator as a brother, father, leader, mentor and friend.

    He said: “We are here today to celebrate Makarfi because we believe he is our friend and he believes that we are his friends. We are here because we love him. The last time an event like was held was when he was in office and his friends gathered at the Eko Le’Meridian Hotel in Lagos to honour him. You could say he was in position of authority then. But today, he is not in any position to influence anything”.

    Chairman of the occasion and Yeriman Zazzau, Alhaji Munir Ja’afaru said: “We are here because of our love and affection for him. He came, he saw and he conquered. In 1999, it was a difficult time when he took over the leadership of the state at a tender age. His age did not prevent him from discharging his duties as he steer the affairs of state with utmost humility and that is why we are here today to celebrate him.”

    Hon. Yakubu Umar Barde, who served as Makarfi Commissioner for Health said the National Assembly cannot move forward without people like Senator Makarfi.

    Barde who is now a member of the House of Representatives, said Makarfi mentored most of them saying: “He is sincere and believe in dialogue and does not listen to gossip, but believe in fair hearing and is prudent in the management of resources”.

    Ambassador Sule Buba, who was nominated as an Ambassador by the Makarfi administration said: “My relationship with Makarfi date back to the when he was a student. I was the Secretary of the Peoples Redemption Party and Makarfi was a member of the party. He was innocent and nobody thought he will graduate to be a first class politician. I was not surprised when he became governor because before he went into the race, he had a mission and a blueprint for the development of the state.”

    Abdulmalik Durunguwa who served as the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) under Makarfi likened the former governor to people like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos, the late Olusola Saraki in Kwara and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in Kano.

    Kaduna State Governor, Mukthar Ramalan Yero who said he has had the opportunity of being in all the places Makarfi has been said the former governor has course to thank God for his life and be patient with people.

    Yero said while Makarfi studied Accountancy at the Ahmadu Bello University, worked with the defunct Nigeria Universal Bank and as Commissioner for Finance in Kaduna State before becoming governor, he (Yero) also worked in such places before becoming governor. He noted that since 1999, Makarfi planted a tree which has grown with several branches, saying “he is the tree and it has grown to have several branches which are fruitful. People come and go, but the problem is that when the time for people to go comes, they feel that their time is not yet up”.

    On his part, Makarfi said he was not comfortable speaking before the gathering even though he is very familiar with the people present. He attributes this to the fact that “by my nature, birthday celebrations are hardly my hobbies. Often, I don’t remember when they are due without being reminded by family or friends. Most of you here would recall that for the eight years that I was governor, but for one or two occasions, that just like this one, I was literally arm twisted into accepting, there was no time that I engaged in a public celebration like this”.

    While expressing appreciation to the organisers for their persistence until they broke his resistance, he said “I believe I also owe them an apology for putting up the resistance in the first place because coming here has brightened up my day in more ways than one. For one, I have seen so many faces that for one reason or the other, I have not seen in a long while and also, it has brought us together with friends and associates with whom we may even have cause to disagree on one issue or the other. This is how it should be because it shows that our friendship and political understanding are matured enough to accommodate our various shades of opinion and our proclivity to look at and see issues from different points of view. Hardly surprising though, because in matters of political enlightenment, sophistication and accommodation, we, in Kaduna, have always tried to show the way. We show by our conduct such as this that we respect individuals’ and groups’ right to dissent in a democracy and that we don’t allow such dissents to, in any way impact negatively on our relationship. I am so happy with the happiness that I see radiating in all the faces that are here”.