PDP crisis: Makarfi woos Ayade

As the search for peaceful resolution of the crisis the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continues, the Senator Ahmed Makarfi faction is intensifying efforts at wooing Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade to its side.

In the wake of the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, Ayade and the party in the state had declared loyalty for the Madu Sheriff-led faction.

But in a surprise visit late on Thursday night, Makarfi, accompanied by Senator Ben Obi and Abdul Ningi, were in Government House, Calabar, where he said: “I am a peace-maker and at the end of the day, we will have to find how PDP rises and runs again. Not only to run again, but also rise and fly.

“We must find a way to work together as a family, and that is the spirit that should be guiding each one of us… It is not an issue of one verses the other, but what matters is whatever way the issues must be settled.”

He lauded Ayade’s performance in office so far, especially in area of job creation, saying: “In this period of high unemployment, you are not retrenching or cutting the salaries of workers, but creating employment in the state. That is highly commendable.”

On how prepared the PDP is to take over at the centre in the next elections, Obi said: “We just gave way for APC (All Progressives Congress) to come in and Nigerians have seen the difference.

“So, we are gearing up to bounce back in 2019.”

The governor, in his response, said the visit was a demonstration that there exists a commitment to finding a peaceful resolution to the impasse.