PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur
By Chuks Okocha
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has barred all the state chapters of the party from conducting primaries or congresses without express permission from the national headquarters of the party.
PDP gave this directive when also the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, charged governors elected on the platform of the party to ensure that they deliver the dividends of democracy to the electorate and good governance in line with the dictates of the party’s manifesto.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metu, said no state had the constitutional powers to conduct any primary and/or Congresses without express approval of the National leadership.
Consequently, Metu said the NWC had rejected the slated Adamawa State PDP local government primaries and directed the state to cease any further action in this regard as it is unconstitutional, unauthorised and therefore unlawful.
According to Metu, “All state organs of the party should henceforth comply with all the provisions of our Constitution in this regard especially Article 50 (1) of the 2012 Constitution.”
The implication of the cancellation of the Adamawa State PDP primary election for party local government elections is the continuation of the bad blood between the PDP National Chairman, Tukur and the PDP led state government under Muritala Nyako.
Almost all the PDP state governors have visited Tukur to congratulate him on his election as National Chairman of PDP, except Nyako.
Nyako was among the northeast governors that oppose the election of Tukur as the National Chairman of PDP.
Tukur, who spoke Wednesday when the governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Sheidu Dakingari, paid a courtesy visit to the members of the NWC of the party.
Tukur also tasked elected officials of the party to represent the people who elected them fairly and squarely, stating that the party would have the best candidate that would be the people`s choice in the 2015 general election.
“If our people gave us the mandate to represent them, we should therefore represent them fairly and squarely,” Tukur said.
The PDP Chairman urged the governors to ensure they implemented the party’s manifestoes with regards to delivering democracy dividends as a tool to ensuring the development of the country.
Tukur said that the party under his leadership was posed to building a supreme party that would serve as a legacy to the future general.
“It is not individuals that we want to build; we want to build an institution,” Tukur said.
He added that the party under his leadership was also striving to leave for the future generation a party that would be known with across the world.
He stressed that Africa was now the last frontier in the global scene adding that the PDP should strive to be seen and not to be operating; “below the ladder but up the ladder.”
Tukur said the PDP has the responsibility of taking the root of democracy and entrenching it in the country while working in harmony and consensus.