The National Chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Bamanga Tukur, has
said that both the party and the Presidency
have put measures in place, to ensure the
return of members of the party that defected
to the All Progressives Party (APC).
Tukur, also described the current problems
within the party as a rejuvenating process,
rather than crisis.
He made these remarks in London yesterday,
when he was visited by a team of Nigerian
Professionals based in Europe, led by Edwin
Olabamiro.
Vanguard report:
He said: “PDP is at home to contain all forms of
harassment by the opposition, either vaunted
or intended.
“If it is a game of numbers in any election, you
can always count on it that PDP will win.
“The good thing is that if five people move out
of PDP to another party, even by dint of
propaganda, the party takes in more than 500
at a time as replacement.
“The electorate in Nigeria trust PDP more than
many people are aware of.”
“As the Chairman of PDP, let me say that we
may not be having it smooth at the moment.
“The party and Mr. President are not relenting
on holding consultations with the aggrieved
members.”
In other news, the notion that President
Jonathan will be the PDP’s presidential
candidate for the 2015 election, has
threatened to split the northern faction of the
party as there are debates on whether he
should contest or not.
The Northern Elders Union, NEU, yesterday,
dismissed the assertion by Northern Elders
Forum, NEF, that the zone will not vote for
People’s Democratic Party, PDP, if it nominated
President Goodluck Jonathan as its 2015
presidential flagbearer, describing the threat as
the wishful thinking of a few privileged
northerners.
Among the northern elements in NEU are
former Minister of Mines and Steel
Development, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Gusau;
former Minister of Transport, Alhaji Yusuf
Suleiman; Senator Garba Gada; a member of
PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, Alhaji Bello Dange;
a former Nigerian Ambassador to Morocco,
Alhaji Abdullahi Ladan-Shinu and another
former Deputy Governor of old Sokoto State,
Alhaji Azika Tambuwal.
The Secretary-General of NEF, Professor Ango
Abdullahi, said last week that the North had
made its position on the 2015 presidency
known to President Jonathan’s emissaries that
the zone would not support Jonathan’s
ambition.
Abdullahi further alleged that the Presidency’s
political tacticians have compiled a list of 151
key northern politicians and leaders with a view
to wooing them to work for the President in
2015.
However, Alhaji Gusau said Abdullahi was on
his own.
Rising from its meeting in Kaduna yesterday,
Gusau advised any NEF leader, who had
presidential ambition in 2015 to declare such,
but not to beat the drums of war as Nigeria
belonged to all.
Gusau spoke in a telephone interview with
Vanguard yesterday.
He said: “The North or Nigeria does not belong
to NEF leaders alone. If any NEF leader wants
to contest the 2015 presidential polls, let him
come out openly and declare his interest.
“For instance, PDP, under the leadership of the
Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Muktar
Shagari, will win Sokoto State. It will be like
that in some North-West and North-East zones.
“I do not know where the North met as a whole
and decided who we shall support or not. Let
us wait and watch.
“I do not know the premise under which
Professor Abdullahi based his conclusion that
the North has abandoned PDP.
“PDP has done so many good things for the
North and we shall tell the North those things
when the time for campaign comes. It is the
only party that has national spread. The North
cannot leave a known friend and for an
unknown friend or enemy.”

SOURCE: http:///Amk3xtMr3q

PDP is a drowning party. If according to Bamanga Tukur that if 5 members leaves PDP and another 500 coming in, why worrying and making moves to return those who left?

The only plane talk in this report is that which says " stop beating the Drum of war! If you want to contest come out and say it openly" I believe that is what a True Nigerian should say irrespective of where you are from, if you want to contest come out and say it openly, let's look at your credentials and compare, instead of shouting for division and disharmony in a country that belongs to every Nigerian home and abroad... I for one if the likes of fashola stands against GEJ come 2015 God knows GEJ would loss my vote to Fashola, but you and I know that 2015 might not be the right time for Fashola to come up!

The only group that will have my attention is the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF). Any other group(s) should just go and sit down abeg.

Whatever...Vote for Abacha if you like!

Can anyone research the history and antecedents of this group?

It is the destiny of Bamanga Tukur to balkanize PDP.

I said it here a long time ago. His management style amazes me. He was engaged in a war of words with the defectors BEFORE they left.

He said then that the party didn't need them but he's now saying they're working on their return. He's also saying PDP gets 500 members for every 5 that leaves! In the same breath, he's saying PDP is not 'having it smooth'!

Is this man genuinely confused or deliberately confused?

He appears like a man that was sent to PDP to bring it to ruins.

Coming from a beer-parlor source...

Jonathan for president 2015... Lol