PDP ex-chairman, Makarfi, cautions office holders against misuse of power

Former Governor of Kaduna State and erstwhile Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, has cautioned public office holders under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari against excessive use of political power against opponents and other
Nigerians.

He said they might be called upon to account for their misdeeds in the near future.

Makarfi, who spoke in an interview with The Guardian in Kaduna yesterday, though refused to dwell elaborately on the recent crisis in the Kaduna Chapter of the APC, which led to the demolition of one of the factional headquarters by Governor Nasir el-Rufai, said that “ irrespective of which party, whether it is PDP or APC and we find ourselves in power, we must exercise the power with a lot of decorum.”

According to him, the issue arising from the demolition exercise recently carried out by Kaduna State Government on APC factional headquarters “is a matter internal to the APC”, saying that in general, public office holders should exercise some restraints in their actions because “everything in life is temporary.”

He said: “We must be patient; more patient than our followers. We find executive excesses in many states, reactions and over reactions in many states, irrespective of party, and that is not healthy.

“But 90 per cent are coming from APC-led government and this will not augur well for the development of our democracy.

“Except when reminded, I tend to forget that I was once a governor in Kaduna State. I tell you the truth. I most times forget that I was even once a governor. Except when people start reminding me. And that is life.

So, whether you are a governor of any state, a legislator, minister or president, you must be careful. Whether you are a GOC, service chief, Commissioner of Police and IG of Police, you must be careful because you don’t know when you will be called to account.

“There can come a time in Nigeria that you may not be able to hide under the pretext that you are following others when Nigerians may request that people who allowed themselves to be used for illegal actions should be hold to account for their deeds.

“In a society which goes under a lot of suppression, it will surely burst and people will be held to account in future. So, mine is a call to all of us that this power is something in trust on behalf of Nigerians and for the benefit of the people.

“We may be offended one way or the other, but if that is the case, we should guide our actions so that we don’t over-react.”