I'm Fully In Charge of PDP, Claims Bamanga Tukur

Posted: September 4, 2013 - 16:22

Bamanga Tukur

By SaharaReporters, New York

Embattled National Chairman of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Bamanga Tukur, has declared that he is still in charge of the party.
Tukur proclaimed his tigritude at a press briefing in Abuja, where he threatened to declare vacant the seats of members of National Assembly hobnobbing with the rebel group, who on Saturday formed the ‘New PDP’ after walking away from the Special Convention of the party, dismissing it as rotten. They accused the party of having become more autocratic and increasingly undemocratic.
As the events took place, Tukur and President Goodluck Jonathan appeared stunned and speechless. Regaining his speech today, Tukur in turn described members of the New PDP are impostors, and as “undemocratic.”
“Our reason for being here is to inform you without any iota of doubt that the Peoples Democratic Party has no faction and there is neither room nor reason whatsoever for such a claim under any guise,” the heavily-criticized chairman declared.
He threatened that anyone who is not duly elected into any leadership position in the party and has not been duly assigned any role but goes ahead to arrogate such a role to himself will be made to face the law.
“Similarly, all persons elected on the platform of our great party at all levels who identify with these enemies of the oneness and greatness of our party shall have their seats declared vacant as required by law. We shall leave no stone unturned to ensure that such persons and indeed any other individual who attempts to subvert the leadership of the PDP shall reap in full, the consequences of such actions.”
Text of the press statement:
I'm fully in charge of PDP -Tukur
Embattled National Chairman of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, has declared that he is still in charge of the party.
Tukur spoke at a press briefing innAbuja, where he also threatened to declare the seats of members of National Assembly hobnobbing with the rebel group, who went to form the New Peoples Democratic Party in Abuja in Saturday, vacant.
He said those who formed the New PDP are undemocratic and impostors.
Text Of Press Conference Delivered By The National Chairman Of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, CON At The PDP National Secretariat On Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Gentlemen of the press, you are aware of the current developments in our great party. Our reason for being here is to inform you without any iota of doubt that the Peoples Democratic Party has no faction and there is neither room nor reason whatsoever for such a claim under any guise.
The PDP has only one duly elected National Executive Committee (NEC) under my Chairmanship. I wish therefore to state with all emphasis that any group of persons parading themselves as leaders of NEC or any other organ of our party are impostors and I urge all Nigerians, especially the security agencies and other institutions of democracy to regard them as such.
Let me state categorically that the PDP as the sole custodian of the sacred mandate of over 160 million Nigerians and who in the last fourteen years has lifted high the banner of democracy will not fold its arms while some undemocratic and unpatriotic elements destroy our common destiny by causing divisions and confusion among the people.
Consequently, we shall ensure that any person who is not duly elected into any leadership position in our great party and has not been duly assigned any role but goes ahead to arrogate such to himself will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
Similarly, all persons elected on the platform of our great party at all levels who identify with these enemies of the oneness and greatness of our party shall have their seats declared vacant as required by law.
We shall leave no stone unturned to ensure that such persons and indeed any other individual who attempts to subvert the leadership of the PDP shall reap in full, the consequences of such actions.
I wish to emphasize that the PDP has adequate mechanism for internal conflict resolution. All party members are therefore advised to ventilate their grievances through this medium.
There is only one lawfully recognized PDP and I am firmly in charge.
Thank you and may God bless you
Alhaji (Dr) Bamanga Tukur, CON
National Chairman

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Drama In Presidential Villa As Kwankwaso Rejects Jonathan's Request

Posted: September 3, 2013 - 00:03

Rabiu Kwankwaso

By SaharaReporters, New York

There was a mild political drama at Nigeria’s Presidential Villa on Sunday night when Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State rejected the request of President Goodluck Jonathan to stand beside him as Tony Anenih, the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the People’s Democratic Party, read a communiqué at the end of their “peace” meeting.

Mr. Kwankwaso was the spokesman of a group of PDP governors who last Saturday walked out of the venue of the party’s mini-convention.

He was at Aso Rock Villa to participate in a meeting called by Mr. Jonathan to iron out differences between the president’s faction of the party and a splinter group of governors and other party members who staged the dramatic walkout.

At the end of the peace meeting, which was attended by 16 governors, Mr. Anenih was mandated to speak with reporters as Mr. Jonathan and his deputy, Namadi Sambo, were reduced to spectators. A presidential source told SaharaReporters that President Jonathan had beckoned on Kwankwaso to stand beside him, but the Kano State governor refused. “When Mr. President beckoned to Alhaji Kwankwaso to stand by his side as Chief Anenih read out the communiqué, the governor raised his finger and shook it several times. He then headed to the side of Chief Anenih,” said the source. He added that Mr. Jonathan, though clearly miffed, flashed a pained smile.

SaharaReporters learnt that Mr. Jonathan first met behind closed doors with former President Olusegun Obasanjo for close to two hours in the private residence of the president, and then met with 16 PDP governors, including four of the group that walked away from the mini-convention. The splinter group, led by former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, subsequently met at the Musa Yar’Adua Convention Center in Abuja and announced the formation of the “New PDP.” The rebellious governors include Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, and Abdulfatai Ahmed of Kwara State.

Mr. Anenih read the communiqué flanked by President Jonathan on the right and Governor Kwankwaso on the left, with other governors behind them. The chairman of the fractious party’s board of trustees stated that “the leadership of the party and the PDP governors met today to discuss the incident that occurred during the PDP special convention on the 31st of August 2013, whereby some state delegations walked out of the convention ground to announce a faction of the party.” He added: “The meeting was smooth and encouraging and the discussions will continue on Tuesday with all the