Tukur Makes Last Attempt To Save Job

 

The National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on Sunday met with the deputy national officers of the party and begged them to help him retain his position.

At the meeting, Tukur urged them to support him during the January 16 National Executive Council meeting of the PDP.

One of the deputy national leaders, who attended the meeting, said that Tukur expressed his anger over the attitude of many of the members of the NWC toward his leadership.

He said that the national chairman was embittered that the national officers had pitched tent with his political enemies.

Tukur was said to have told them that this was why he did not want some of the national officers to return to their positions during the last mini convention of the party in Abuja.

He claimed that from the way the national chairman spoke it was clear that he was no longer sure of what would happen to him.

The source said, “We held the meeting at his residence where the chairman asked for our understanding and begged us to support him by lobbying for him ahead of the January 16 NEC meeting.

”It was disheartening listening to him because he felt he had done his best for the party and President Goodluck Jonathan who he believed might be under immense pressure to stop backing him.

”But we are not members of the NWC and it will be difficult for us to help him settle the rift among the NWC members, who are also our seniors in party hierarchy in the country.”

When contacted, the Media Assistant to Tukur, Mr. Oliver Okpala, said he was not aware of the meeting.

Okpala also described what was happening in the PDP as part of politics.

He dismissed claims that the national chairman was the problem of the party

Okpala said, “ Dr. Tukur is not and can never be the problem of the PDP. This is a party he has worked tirelessly to build; he cannot join those who want to destroy it.

“What is happening now is part of politics but I can assure you that the PDP has internal mechanisms to deal with issues and we will come out of this crisis a bigger and stronger party.”