A former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmed Makarfi, has advised his party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to make peace with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
He stated that Wike has the right to be hurt by Atiku’s decision to pick Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as his running mate.
The former Kaduna State governor told The Guardian that it was in a bid to avoid the misgivings of 2019 that Atiku decided to consult widely.
According to him, the idea of setting consultative committees did not bind the candidate to the recommendations of the committees. 
He urged Wike and other aggrieved members of the party to recognise the fact that political power comes from God, adding, “a decision is never taken on behalf of a candidate, you can only advice a candidate.”
Makarfi said: “Our presidential candidate and by God’s grace our next president, Atiku, in 2019, picked Peter Obi, and you saw how the governors revolted, with all kinds of abuses. They said there was no consultation.
“Now, he consulted, but maybe, some people thought that consultation means take decision on his behalf, no; you never take decision on behalf of the principal. Now, he consulted. Again it is a problem.
“Maybe, it is the perception that a decision must be taken on his (the presidential candidate’s) behalf. A decision is never taken on behalf of a candidate. You can only advise a candidate. For those who lost out, they have a right to be hurt. If I am one of them, I may be slightly hurt, but I will push it away and say fine, which way forward.”
He called on Wike and any other person aggrieved to give peace a chance, adding that leaders and even prophets were insulted.
“I also will fully support that our party, our presidential candidate, in any way possible, should listen to and accommodate not only Governor Wike but any other aggrieved individual in our party,” Makarfi noted.
“We need everybody. We should give it a try if it works out fine, but if it doesn’t work out, I have told you what my state and I are busy doing. Politics is local. Everybody should go home and work to turn our states for PDP.”
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