The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday refuted a statement saying that the Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, is planning to destabilise Taraba State through a panel constituted by him.
According to a statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the PDP chairman, Prince Oliver Okpala, the PDP said the attention of the Media Directorate to the National Chairman of PDP has been drawn to an open letter addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan by a group that called itself the Southern Taraba Patrotic Front, alleging "How Bamanga Tukur plans to Destabilise Taraba State through a panel."
The statement noted that the said panel is the brain child of the PDP and that it was set up by the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party; adding that Tukur only read out the terms of reference of the panel and inaugurated it in his capacity as chairman of the party.
It added that the panel is not to witch-hunt anyone, but that the idea behind the panel is to identify with the good people of Taraba State in what has become a serious constitutional matter.
The statement further said the PDP has ways and means of addressing complaints and grievances of members and urged the authors to avail themselves of these before going to the press.
It will be recalled that the leadership of the PDP recently named Senator Hope Uzodinma the chairman of a seven-member panel to ascertain the health status of ailing Taraba State governor, Danbaba Suntai.
Suntai has been in hospital overseas since last year following an injury he sustained when the plane he piloted crashed near Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
The Deputy Governor, Garba Umar, has been acting as the governor since then.
Suntai was recently said to have been transferred to a hospital in the United States for further treatment but his condition is still subject to speculations.
The PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur told reporters that the party found it expedient to intervene in the situation in Taraba.
A statement the party chairman read at the media briefing stated the terms of reference of the panel as follows: "To find out and report the extent of the political harmony or otherwise among the key stakeholders within the ruling PDP in the state.
National Mirror