PDP’s Tukur dismisses quit rumour

Ayo Oluokun

Contrary to recent speculations in the media, Alhaji Bamanga, National Chairman of Nigeria’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP said on Monday that he is not under any pressure to quit as the leader of the self acclaimed biggest party in Africa.

Media reports in the past few days had indicated that President Goodluck Jonathan, in deference to advice from some of his aides, had accepted the call by some Governors that the PDP Chairman should be relieved of his position as a way of solving the seemingly intractable crisis bedeviling the party.

The speculation was that Tukur may be asked to resign at a meeting of the highest executive organ of the party National Executive Council, NEC later in the week.

But in a statement he personally signed on Monday, the Chairman of PDP said he has no problem whatsoever with President and other stakeholders in the party.

“Let me reiterate that I am not resigning and I have no intention of doing so as an elected National Chairman of PDP. I accepted to become chairman based on my conviction that I can use my wealth of experience to help my party and my country,” Tukur said while emphasizing that he is not contemplating resigning from office.

The National Chairman who also affirmed that he has been working with the elders and stakeholders in PDP however attributed the report of his impending resignation to those he described as black legs in and out of the PDP who he accused of funding negative media reports on activities of the party both at the state and national levels.

While reiterating that the “black legs” will not succeed in their activities, Tukur however noted that some media organizations have been busy reporting falsehood against his person and office since he assumed office last year. He noted that some media reports had immediately on assumption of office predicted that he will not last three months.

When this failed to materialize, Tukur noted that another newspaper wrote that he would resign in December, before the latest report which speculated that he has been asked to resign. I really do not understand whether Bamanga Tukur is really the media’s problem, or the problem of faceless individuals who were manufacturing the miserable reports.

The party chairman said contrary to speculations in the media, he is not usually the issue when members of the party met to discuss behind closed doors. “It was more ludicrous that some people funded a report that I had resigned when indeed, I was on my way to Canada for an official engagement, and yet our so called media bought the untruth without shuddering. Then I ask myself, where is the sense of fairness and professionalism by our media in this regard?,” queried Tukur who however called on members of his party to come together and begin to close ranks if PDP must remain the strongest party that we are in Africa

“It is in our party’s interest and indeed, in the interest of President Goodluck Jonathan to have us get back on the track while regaining the grooves that have been making us tick, unbeatable and widely accepted. To do otherwise is to yield the grounds to the propagandists who have been masquerading as our opponents even with the nebulous interest of getting power in 2015.”