Tukur Is Desperate To Save His Job                               

In apparent desperate moves to retain his seat as National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur yesterday conferred with party stakeholders from his home state, Adamawa, including Professor Jibril Aminu, Air Commodore Dan Sulaiman, and others in private residence in Abuja, where a committee was set up to douse the tension.

The committee, consisting of eminent PDP personalities from Adamawa state, was billed to meet with the Chairman of the PDP recognized Nigeria Governors’ Forum and governor of Plateau state, Chief Jonah Jang, as well as Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and governor of Akwa Ibom state, Chief Godswill Akpabio.

This is happening just as the Caucus of the PDP, made up of key stakeholders, including President Jonathan, his deputy, Namadi Sambo, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, Tukur, several governors on the platform of the party, as well as minister in the federal cabinet, went into a crucial meeting last night.

The meeting, which was on, up to our press time last night, sources said, was aimed at resolving some of the numerous crises rocking the party, ahead of tomorrow’s NEC meeting.

Conspicuously absent at the Caucus meeting, however, is former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who recently wrote a letter to the PDP chairman threatening to withdraw his membership of the party.

However, the fence-mending committee consisting of Aminu, Dan Sulaiman, Gen. Anthony Haldu Hananiya and Dr. Umar Ardo, is to interface with the stakeholders on the build-up of opposition against Tukur’s leadership of the party.

Although the outcome of the meetings with the party chieftains has yet to be made public as at press time last night, there were indications that such would form the basis of Tukur’s decision on whether or not to resign ahead of tomorrow’s NEC meeting.

A member of the fence-mending panel, Dr. Ardo, who confirmed its mandate, said the need to approach the two governors became necessary given the positions they hold on behalf of the party.

“We decided to explore this option with the national chairman as we agreed that it would not be right to take any action without hearing from them since they hold key positions on behalf of the party and our position would be decided by the outcome of the meeting with them”, he disclosed.

In the meantime, Tukur yesterday recanted his statement of Monday, saying he never said President Jonathan lacked the power to remove him from office except a constituted National Congress of the party.

Reacting to reports that he dared Jonathan on his removal, Tukur in a rejoinder he personally signed said: “My attention has been drawn to a scurrilous write up which was carried today in electronic and print media to the effect that “Tukur dares the President” or “Jonathan cannot remove me” or “Only convention can remove me”.

“I am a man of considerable experience in organization, political and government. I am an important stakeholder in PDP and my track record shows that I have rendered impeccable service to the nation. My role as PDP national chairman is to help the further growth, preservation and well being of Nigeria using a disciplined platform. It is this platform that am helping to ensure, exist in our great party the (PDP) with the help of well meaning Nigerians and prayers to almighty God, we hope to succeed.

“Given the back ground which I have stated it is totally out of place for me to lecture Mr. President as suggested in the scurrilous article and write up. It is preposterous and smacks of an undisciplined mind which definitely I am not.

“I am confident that any discerning Nigerian, particularly his Excellency the President, Commander-in-Chief, will easily see through this shallow mischief. I have taken the time to make this statement in my continuous role to help guide the ship of Nigeria to safe waters, in spite of political turbulence. I want to assure Nigerians and the outside world that the chairman of PDP (my humble self and Mr. President) are standing shoulder to shoulder to transform Nigeria. As for the mischief makers all I can say is that “from their works ye shall know them”, he stated.

Equally responding to speculations that he had resigned his position owing to the pressure piled on him by some governors and stakeholders in the party, Tukur said he had no resigned.

The PDP chairman expressed shock on the report, which according to him, was being sponsored by those he described as “desperate hawks” within and outside the PDP.

“You all met me here talking to you as the PDP chairman. Yet, some enemies of the party went to the media to say I had resigned. It is unbelievable that party members could be mean, vile, treacherous and vindictive while playing such stunt.

“This is not the first time they would do this. They had sponsored media reports severally to say I had resigned. Yet Almighty God has continued to shame them because, they were not the ones who kept me on this seat.

“They went further to sponsor media reports that I was to confront our president over an issue they could not expatiate on. The agents of darkness have taken over the place. Nigeria and members of our party should beware.

“I am in good terms with Mr. President, the leader of our party. We met often and take strategic decisions together. No one, not even the devil can make me be in needless confrontation with the president. We are one in the spirit and the enemies would be shocked to see PDP back on stream,” he said.