By Dirisu Yakubu
ABUJA- The Peoples Democratic Party has denied knowledge of a Presidential ambition by its National Caretaker Committee (NCC) Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi contrary to insinuations by some chieftains of the party.

Senator Ahmed Makarfi, the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),

In a press conference held at the party secretariat Wednesday, the party through its National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye also faulted the call for the resignation of Makarfi by one of the chairmanship aspirants, Chief Bode George.

According to the party publicity scribe, the National Caretaker Committee is committed to the conduct of a credible and transparent convention, saying the allegation of working in favour of one of the candidates was unfortunate.

“Whether Senator Makarfi has Presidential ambition or not, we are not aware of that. The National Caretaker Committee is not aware of that and we have not opened the floodgate for people to begin to aspire for the position of the president.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not even released the timetable for the presidential election, ” said Adeyeye who added that the PDP was concerned with “Putting in place a new leadership for the party which we hope will come up or emerge latest by December 9 or 10.”

On the allegation by George that the NCC was taking the party back on the track of impunity, Adeyeye described the statement as unfortunate, saying: “It pains us that on the one hand, Chief Bode George who is fully aware of the pains we are still going through in Lagos in order to fairly and equitably carry everybody on board to the extent that we are being accused by others as siding with him is the same person accusing us of impunity.”

Advancing reasons for the defeat suffered by the PDP in the recently concluded governorship elections in Anambra State, the party said the divisions amongst its members was largely to blame.

He said: “These people are very much divided and it has been a recurring decimal since 2003. I want to tell you that in the last Anambra election, majority of votes for the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) came from PDP.

“It is an unfortunate situation. But I believe that the next leadership of the party that will take over from us will have full time to look at at the Anambra matter and solve the problem once and for all.”

The party further expressed dissatisfaction with what it termed the ‘antics’ of Senator Buruji Kashamu (PDP, Ogun East), saying in no distant time, justice will be done even as he blamed the lawmaker for the loss of Edo and Ondo States governorship polls in the recent past by the PDP.

“The actions of Kashamu and co led to the loss of Edo and Ondo States. The party will take a decision at the appropriate time on senator Kashamu,” Adeyeye said, adding that though “It may take long, but justice will be done.