15th January, 2014
Embattled National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on Wednesday said he had not resigned his position as reported in the media today.
Tukur spoke to State House correspondents on his arrival at the banquet hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, for the party’s Board of Trustee (BOT) meeting.
“I am not somebody who will resign and you will not know. I have not resigned,” he said.
There were stories on line today that Tukur had bowed to pressure from various quarters to relinquish his position as the party’s national leader.
On Tuesday, speculations were also rife that he had quit.
But Tukur in a statement dismissed the speculations as untrue.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that before the arrival of Tukur at the Villa, there was a national caucus meeting of the leaders of the party presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The meeting was attended by the Senate President, Sen. David Mark and his Deputy, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and his Deputy, Mr Emeka Ihedioha.
Also in the meeting were the BOT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih and other party leaders, excluding Tukur.
NAN reports that the President also met with some PDP governors before the BOT meeting.
The governors were, Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Theodore Orji (Abia), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta) and Ibrahim Shema (Katsina).
Governors ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) and Ramalan Yero (Kaduna) also attended the meeting.
Suswam told State House correspondents after the governors’ meeting that the discussion was centred on the need to re-strategise and restore the dwindling glory of the party.
“The issues discussed with the president was basically on how to re-strategise and re-position our party and how to move forward as a party.
“The second meeting is the national caucus and I am not in the position to comment on that,” he said.
He said the meeting did not discuss the issue of resignation of Tukur.
Suswam said the decision on Tukur’s fate would be taken at the BOT and the National Executive Council meetings of the party on Thursday.