There was confusion on Wednesday at the National Secretariat of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over status of the embattled National Chairman of the party, Dr, Bamanga Tukur.
This development followed his absence at the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held Wednesday to fine tune arrangements for the National Executive Council (NEC) scheduled for Thursday. The meeting was presided over by the Deputy national Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.
Also, some of his aides, including his principal secretary, George Kogba, were busy clearing their personal effects from their various offices, an indication that the national chairman might have bowed to pressure and had thrown in the towel.
Tukur was said to have tendered his resignation by 10 am on Wednesday when he got wind that the National Executive Committee, NEC, will pass a vote of no confidence on him on Thursday.
But his Special Assistant (Media), Prince Oliver Opara, in a statement read said “the National Chairman has not resigned; it is all speculation. National Chairman will be at the BOT meeting tonight and will also attend the NEC of the party tomorrow.”
There was indication that Tukur threw in the towel following inability of a high-powered panel of elders he put together to intervene on his behalf to sway PDP governors who were bent on his removal.
The intervention team, led by General Anthony Hananiya (retd) had met the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Dr. Godswill Akpabio and chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Jona Jang of Plateau state to lobby them on behalf of the embattled national chairman.
It was gathered that while Hananiya and the other trouble shooters were busy lobbying the PDP governors, the 37 PDP state chairmen were holding a meeting at a hotel in Abuja where a vote of no confidence was passed on the national chairman.
Tukur had been under pressure in the past seven days to quit; even some members of the NWC are against his continued headship of the party.
During a meeting between NWC members and President Goodluck Jonathan, the members allegedly accused him of being responsible for the problems confronting the party and insisted on his removal so that peace could return to the ruling party.
The strained relationship between Tukur and NWC members deepened on Monday when they shunned meeting of the committee summoned by the national chairman.
Tukur had summoned the NWC meeting to fine tune arrangements for the meeting of the national executive committee, NEC, scheduled to hold on Thursday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
The PDP NEC is expected to formally meet on Thursday to accept the resignation of the Tukur, a man that is globally respected as chairman of the African Business Roundtable.
