Seventy-eight-year old National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur may not be having the best of times as Huhuonline.com has learnt that the moves by some of the party members to get him off the seat is gaining momentum.
Top sources within the party have confirmed that Tukur may be sacrificed as calculations continue for President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2015 general elections.
In one of their meetings with the president, aggrieved governors of the party, popularly called the G-7 had asked that Tukur be fired as one of the conditions for peace to reign in the troubled party. They gave various reasons, including alleged dictatorial tendencies of the chairman believed to have been favoured by Jonathan to dim the chances of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, an indigene of Adamawa like Tukur, in the race for the presidency.
Only days ago, Huhuonline.com published a story on the positive chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to win over the aggrieved governors of the PDP, as the opposition party continues to pay visits to them.
“Irked by reports that the governors are giving serious considerations to the ‘toasting’ by the APC, there are highly confidential moves by the president to begin the implementation of some of the conditions given by these governors,” a powerful source within the PDP explained to our correspondent on Sunday evening.
“I must tell you that any mistake on our part is going to hit us hard from which we may not recover as a party in the nearest future.”
Ordinarily, he cannot be sacked without any genuine reason, but according to the source, the president, working with some other powerful forces within the party, has decided to list Tukur’s many sins since he became chairman.
“Do not be surprised that the reasons for his sack may be very simple but genuine. He may be accused of not being able to ensure the much needed peace within the party both at the national and state levels, his age or the fact that he often disagrees with Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih. These may not necessarily be the reasons but flimsy reasons like these would be given,” he added.
However, in a reaction seeming to deny such moves, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh on Sunday declared that Tukur is still in charge and is the favourite of the president having proven his mettle. He said majority of the members of the party are currently rooting for his continuance as he punctured plans to sack his boss. Metuh said that apart from being elected democratically, Tukur has a cordial relationship with the president.
According to Metuh, Tukur’s maturity and fatherly disposition in tolerating opposing views even when the holders of such views cross the lines of civilised conduct is the hallmark of a statesman who is willing to build, rather than destroy an institution like the PDP, which he co-founded.
“Alhaji Tukur as a founding father of the party is a bridge between the original ideals of the formation of the party and its contemporary existence. His understanding that the PDP is a broad based coalition that exists to cement the bonds of national unity is the reason he is very accommodating to all views no matter how they may be personally inconveniencing to him,” Metuh said, describing Tukur as “an astute pan-Nigerian patriot, an African icon and global statesman whose sheer industry, hard work and dedication have positively impacted on the PDP in just over one year as the national chairman.
Metuh said Tukur had a pragmatic approach to party administration through the relentless pursuit of the triple R agenda of Reconciliation, Reformation and Rebuilding, which form the building blocks for a stronger and united PDP. He also described the relationship that exists between the President Goodluck Jonathan-led executive arm of government and the legislature as the result of Tukur’s effective administration “which has provided a common platform for a regular interface between both arms.
“Alhaji Tukur has ensured greater participation of the party in the implementation of government programmes through regular monitoring of the performance of PDP members in government. The regular briefings from ministries, departments and agencies have helped reshape the approach to governance, making them truly accountable to the people.
“Similarly, the Tukur-led administration has strengthened the party statutory organs at all levels to ensure that the efficiency at the national level is replicated at the zonal States, Local and Ward levels in accordance with the PDP constitution, manifesto and the visions of the founding fathers,” he said, noting that this is hugely responsible for the overwhelming victories recorded by the party in most of the bye-elections and local council elections held since 2012.
Metuh, speaking for the party, also commended the national chairman for introducing “an uncommon spirit of sportsmanship in the party, which has seen it openly congratulate opponents in elections where the PDP lost.”
