Makarfi, the Survivalist
To the consternation of many, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi has survived many battles and is waxing stronger, writes Segun James
IIn politics goes a proverb: “politics is a game riddled with a circle of men holding a gun to each other’s heads ready to pull the trigger at the first opportunity.” For Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, the scenario is all too familiar. He has survived many political adversaries, prosecutions and betrayals more especially in the last one year, leaving most pundits to wonder: how did he do it?
Makarfi did not only survive the tortuous Nigerian political minefield which has left quite a number of politicians scorched but has emerged with the potential to take on the most coveted position in the Nigerian political scene – the presidency.
How did he do it? How did he get to this point? The events that led to this began soon after the PDP lost the presidential election in 2015. The unexpected situation left the party in disarray as the national chairman Alhaji Adamu Muazu, unable to control the situation in the party threw in the towel.
It was at this point that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, an outsider from the now ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was brought in to lead the party at its most critical period.
But situation soon emerged that Sheriff had his own agenda different from that which those who invited him had in mind. And the crisis began. The botched national convention of the party in Port Harcourt was an attempt to rescue the party from Sheriff.
It was at this point that Makarfi was persuaded to take over the reins of the party. At that critical time, the party had been divided with some members supporting Makarfi and others backing Sheriff.
In the midst of these, the reconciliation committee of the party headed by Bayelsa State governor, Henry Seriake Dickson recommended that Sheriff be recognised as the leader of the party to move the party out of the quagmire it has found itself. Situation became even more tense when the Court of Appeal ruled that Sheriff was the authentic leader of the party. Many, including Makarfi could not understand how Dickson could come up with such a recommendation.
Yet Makarfi remained undaunted as he rallied the party members to appeal the ruling. The situation became so protracted that most members, including serving senators, House of Representatives members, former governors and other political leaders left the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in droves. It was the worst time for the former largest party in Africa. Yet it was this time that the leader in Makarfi emerged and became strongest.
In spite of the onslaught from the APC and the distraction from the Sheriff faction, he was able to rally loyal members behind him even as they waited for the Supreme Court to deliver its verdict on who between him and Sheriff was the authentic national chairman of the party. The wait was long and laborious, but he remained resolute till the end and he was finally proclaimed the leader.
But what led to this? That the PDP needed a new leadership selection system is no longer news. But surely not the one that threw in Sheriff, an outsider in the political chess game of the party as chairman. He was said to have been imposed on the party’s hierarchy by a select few of overtly ambitious governors with personal sinister motives to the detriment of the party.
Now that he has taken control of the party from Sheriff, the main task before the new chairman is to give effective direction for the factionalised party.
Within the four months that he will be holding forth, he would be expected to bring the various camps together and at the same time conduct due diligence on the quality of those aspiring to the leadership position and ensure that only the best and most credible are elected to steer the ship of the party towards 2019 elections when the party hopes to wrest power from the APC.
There is no doubting the fact that PDP needs to eliminate all those factors that are making leadership selection system chaotic, considering all the leadership tussles that led to the circumstances that followed the last national convention.
Before and after the 2015 elections which the party lost at the federal level, state level and at the National Assembly, the once “largest party in Africa” had faced the threat of extinction, not only because the party was beaten blue and black, but more because the stakeholders in the party were at loggerheads over who should lead the leader.
Now that the Supreme Court had decided, the responsibility on Makarfi is onerous. Party loyalists are looking up to him pull the party from the wreckage of defeat, restore peace and harmony to the party. If he fails to deliver, he would have set the party up for failure come 2019.
Makarfi belongs to the group of a rare breed of Nigerian politicians who will accept the results of an election they lose. He conceded victory to his opponent in the last National Assembly election immediately the result was announced and Alhaji Suleiman Hunkuyi of the APC was declared the winner.
Given his antecedents, his choice as the person to lead the PDP did not come as a surprise to many party loyalists.
Obviously, a man with a big heart, he also congratulated the President- elect, General Mohammed Buhari when he defeated his own party leader, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.
At the party’s convention held in Abuja last Saturday, Makarfi did not miss the opportunity to wish Buhari, who is receiving treatment in London a quick recovery.
He said: “We wish well for our president and will continue to pray for his full recovery. We want him to be fit and well when we will defeat the APC in the next general election. We will continue to pray for him, but that does not mean we will go to sleep. We will work hard to replace the APC government come 2019 election”.
That came from Makarfi at a time when some high ranking members of his party, have pronouned the president dead!
Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi was born on August 8, 1956. He was the governor of Kaduna State from May 29, 1999 to May 29, 2007, and was later elected a Senator representing Kaduna North District in April 2007. He is a native of Makarfi, Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
When Ahmed concluded his primary school which he did from 1965 to 1973, he moved to the Federal Government College, Enugu from 1973 to 1978. In 1979, he gained admission into the School of Basic Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.
After he graduated from the university, Ahmed became a part-time lecturer in the Department of Accounting from 1987 to 1993. At the same period, he enrolled for a postgraduate study and received a Master of Science degree in Accounting and Finance.
Makarfi started his working career at the Nigeria Universal Bank, where he rose to the rank of Assistant General Manager. He held many ad-hoc responsibilities during this period. In 1994, he was appointed Kaduna State’s Commissioner of Finance and Economic Planning before returning to the private sector.
He was a member of the Board of Trustees at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution in Abuja as well as its Director of Finance and Administration.
Makarfi is an inspiration to the PDP. While many in PDP trust him, others in opposition respect him. He is the leader the PDP needed at this critical period.
At the party’s convention held in Abuja last Saturday, Makarfi did not miss the opportunity to wish Buhari, who is receiving treatment in London, a quick recovery