The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, Bamanga Tukur, on Wednesday came close to raining curses on his state Governor, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, for the latter’s recent damning comment on the events playing out in the ruling party.
Tukur in a statement issued in Abuja through his media aide, Oliver Okpala, strongly condemned the governor’s statement, wherein he was accused of carrying out acts capable of destroying the party.
According to the National Chairman, anyone that is not prepared to be a disciplined member was free to leave, adding that Nyako’s exit would not in any way affect the fortunes of the PDP.
While noting that the Governor’s threat to move out of the party is his constitutional right which nobody can challenge, he maintained that “as long as he remains in the PDP, he must align himself to party discipline which is the bedrock of enthroning internal democracy in the party.”
The statement further stated that “the great and monumental records of Dr. Bamanga Tukur cannot be dented by one million unguarded utterances of Governor Nyako and his likes.”
Below is full text of the statement:
“The attention of the office of the Special Assistant on media to the national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji (Dr.) Bamanga Tukur has been drawn to some dangerous insinuations and personal attacks on the person of Dr. Bamanga Tukur in some national dailies by the Governor of Adamawa State, Governor Nyako, and officials of his government.
The Governor in his recent utterances accused Dr. Bamanga Tukur of working to ensure the destruction of PDP while predicting the death of PDP as a party. The secretary to the government also accused Dr. Tukur of working to kill the PDP.
The PDP as an institution has come to stay and will never die, like democracy was propounded by Socrates and it outlived Socrates and became universally acceptable, the PDP will outlive those wishing her premature death and gain more recognition worldwide as the largest political party in the black world.
It is unfortunate that in Nigeria like in other advanced countries orientation courses, seminars or retreat are not organized for those elected into the office of Governor of States in Nigeria to help reform and remodel them into strict adherence to being politically and socially civil in terms of their public utterances, mode of dressing, social comportment and the norms of the society as against their past indoctrination and behavior.
This lacuna in our political structure has allowed those elected as Governors to behave and talk in ways that desecrate the sanctity of the office of Governor of states they have been elected to hold.
It is the fervent view and recommendation of the national chairman that this lacuna in our political system in the country should be addressed properly through a legislation in the National Assembly making it a must for those elected as Governors or other political office holders to attend orientation courses, seminars or retreats before assuming office as Governors of States or holding other top political officers in the country.
Dr. Bamanga Tukur is one of the founding fathers of the PDP and [so] the PDP cannot die as being predicted by Governor Nyako and his Government.
By predicting the death of a political structure that brought him to public recognition as a Governor, Governor Nyako has shown that he is not a true party man, for no responsible party man or head of a family would wish the death or eclipse of his own family.
How can Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as a father work towards the death of a political structure he helped to establish? As the national chairman of the PDP, Dr. Tukur has brought peace, concourse and mutual understanding among the true members and faithful of the PDP family.
It is no longer a hidden truth that Governor Nyako and his faithful in Adamawa State have not only been romancing with the opposition as indicated in his public utterances against the party but has actually joined the opposition in principle.
The question of his threatening to move out of the party is his constitutional right and nobody can challenge his right to move out of the party, but as long as he remains in the PDP, he must align himself to party discipline which is the bedrock of enthroning internal democracy in the party.
His utterances and wishes for death of the PDP clearly in the eyes of the party and public portray him as a believer of a sect without faith. Dr. Bamanga Tukur preaches, love, affection and encourages harmonious existence within the PDP family and does not believe in the creation of a State of anarchy and bitterness in the PDP family.
Governor Nyako should therefore respect Dr. Bamanga Tukur as an elder statesman and treat him with respect and decorum since it is not in the culture of a true Northerner to cast aspersion, insult and disrespect to elders even under the pretext of political exercise.
It is the wish of the national chairman that the Governor of Adamawa will love and tow a path of political rectitude, maturity [and] decorum by watching his unguarded utterances and political reactions.
Let it be made clear that the great and monumental records of Dr. Bamanga Tukur cannot be dented by one million unguarded utterances of Governor Nyako and his likes.
It is an acceptable fact that Dr. Bamanga Tukur is the only individual worldwide to be honored by the United Nations to address it as an individual not as the Head of State of any Nation.
A one-time Governor of old Gongola State and understands the aims and objectives of forming the PDP as a political organization and can never work against the noble aims and objective of the founding fathers of the PDP to bequeath the PDP as [a] formidable political entity of first choice to all Nigerians.
Dr. Bamanga Tukur as a first class nationalist, an acclaimed patriotic Nigerian who [has] served this country selflessly in many capacities, will as the national chairman of the party continue to work to give the party a sense of direction and reposition it for greater political height thus making it impossible for the party to die as is the wish of Governor Nyako and his likes.
A true founding father of the PDP, as an elder statesman and nationalist who is not in politics to make money but to give selfless services to the nation, Dr. Tukur will use his wealth of experience to make young Nigerians to play politics with sanity and decorum in the interest of our national growth and international recognition.”
Prince Oliver Okpala Special Assistant on Media to the National Chairman, PDP
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