The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on Wednesday in Abuja, said he was still heading the duly recognised PDP.
He made the remark at a news conference in reaction to the emergence of a parallel body on Saturday.
“There is only one lawfully recognised PDP and I am firmly in charge. PDP 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,’’ Tukur said.
He therefore urged Nigerians especially the security agencies and other institutions of democracy to disregard such impostors.
“All persons elected on the party`s platform 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,’’ Tukur added.
He said that the PDP as the sole custodian of the sacred mandate of more than 160 million Nigerians, had been in power for 14 years and had lifted high the country`s banner of democracy.
“The PDP will not fold its arms while some undemocratic and unpatriotic elements destroy our common destiny by causing division and confusion among the people,’’ Tukur added.
He said the party`s leadership would ensure that any person who arrogated leadership role to himself and was not duly elected or assigned positions would be prosecuted.
“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,’’ Tukur said.
According to him, the PDP has the mechanism for resolving internal conflict and that all party members should feel free to voice their grievances.
It would be recalled that Governors of Niger, Kwara, Sokoto, Jigawa, Adamawa, Rivers and Kano states as well as former Vice-President Atiku Abubarkar on Saturday walked out of the Special Convention held at the Eagle Square on Saturday.
They held a parallel convention at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre to elect another set of national officers to run the affairs of the “New PDP”.
The former acting National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, and the former National Secretary of the party, Mr Olagunsoye Oyinlola, emerged the chairman and secretary of the “new PDP”, respectively.
