People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Senator Ahmed Makafi, has said the umbrella party must field a very strong candidate to stand any chance of defeating President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 poll.

Makarfi said Buhari, who is expected to be the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, still commands a strong followership in the North which has highest number of voters.

The presidential hopeful stressed that the PDP must work on the psychology of voters in the northern part of the country many of whom he said are “still retain blind followership for Buhari.”

Makarfi spoke Friday evening when he visited Ekiti PDP delegates led by Deputy Governor, Prof Kolapo Olusola, at Jibowu Hall, Government House, Ado-Ekiti, in continuation of consultations on his presidential ambition ahead of the party’s national convention.

He contended that he is eminently qualified for the Office of the President having served as Governor of Kaduna State for eight years, Senator for another eight years where he chaired the Committee on Finance and PDP National Caretaker Chairman.

The former Kaduna governor promised to tackle insurgency, herdsmen killings, insecurity, unemployment, epileptic power supply, infrastructural challenges and other problems confronting the polity.

Makarfi said the sectarian problems and security challenges facing the country and confronted Kaduna State during his tenure but he was able to overcome them with tact, consensus buildeand deployment of resources.

He said the PDP must win very well in the North to make any headway in the presidential election adding that the party must present the candidate the people of the region repose trust in.

•Sourced from The Nation report