PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur

By Chuks Okocha

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Monday signified its intention to ensure a level playing field for those seeking its tickets for elective positions in the 2015 general election.
It said that it would discourage any bid to anoint anybody for a position, especially in the race for its presidential and governorship tickets.

PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, in a statement apparently aimed at defusing brewing crisis in the party over the allegation that the party had endorsed some people for some offices denied doing such a thing.

The statement he personally signed, Tukur said the information was not only speculative, it was false.

He urged party members, supporters and Nigerians to disregard the information, as “the major concern of the party is to carry out reforms that will justify our existence of PDP as a ruling party.” 

According to him, “For the time being, the party’s attention has been devoted to critical reforms that will guarantee quality life to our people, reconciliation in all aspects of our political life and instilling internal democracy in our political process.

“While we appreciate the concern and goodwill of the Nigerian people, we acknowledge the fact that reforms in any country come with pains, anxiety and apprehension. This is a necessary sacrifice confronting us as a nation today. This apprehension may have been responsible for the pre-emptive speculation of pre-mature endorsement of aspirants ahead of the 2015 elections.”

The party in another statement by its spokesman, Olisa Metuh, said  only elected officials with evidence of performance would be given a second chance to re-contest on the party’s platform in 2015.

It urged all its elected members to go the extra mile in ensuring the faithful and accelerated implementation of its manifesto to meet up with the burgeoning expectations of the people.

According to PDP, “Service to our people must be the watchword; lifting their standard of living must be our pre-occupation. This is our responsibility to the nation; a debt of gratitude to Nigerians. Those who are the visible face of our party, those in whose hands lay the instruments of governance, the mandate given to our party must stand very tall in providing the much sought relief which good governance in democracy offers.”