By Henry Umoru
The serene village of Mayo Kalaye in Jada local government area of Adamawa State came to life when the rural dwellers honoured their son.
Saturday, 12 May, 2012 may have come and gone, but the memories of the day cannot be forgotten in a jiffy at least by these people whose everyday existence is tied to the apron string of the village against the backdrop that they may not have seen such crowd that came as visitors to Mayo Kalaye.
It was the day a reception was held in honour of the new National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, by the North East geo-political zone of the party in his country home, Mayo Kalaye.
The people of the North East, in spite of rain, came out to celebrate their son, a former governor of the Old Gongola State, now Adamawa and Taraba states.
Travelling from Yola, the Adamawa State capital, to the home town of the PDP boss, was not easy because of the deplorable condition of the road.
The road also leads to Mayo Belwa where Governor Murtala Nyako hails from, as well as Jada and Genye, the local government headquarters and country home of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Though the occasion was organised by the PDP North East Zone, it later became a ceremony that had people all from walks of life in attendance.
When it was time for speech making, Vice President Namadi Sambo, who stood in for President Goodluck Jonathan, reassured Nigerians of government's determination to deliver dividends of democracy and good governance.
An elated Tukur, in his speech at the reception, said every Nigerian should join the PDP to build a virile country. His words: "I could see Nigeria in PDP. Even some of the states which decided to go on sabbatical leave are now coming back, so that all of us will be together in building our nation."
He, however, lamented the poverty in the country, stressing that if Nigeria must get it right, agriculture must be given adequate attention by government, against the backdrop of its potentials to create millions of jobs, eradicate poverty as well as arrest youth restiveness.
Atiku, who also spoke, said the major challenge before the PDP Chairman is the entrenchment of internal democracy in the party to give every member a sense of belonging.
The former VP, who spoke on behalf of he North East, urged the new leadership of the party to ensure that there was fairness, justice, rule of law, transparency in all forms of election within the PDP as that will install discipline and respect in the party, adding that the new leadership must work to ensure that the PDP controlled states increased dramatically in the forthcoming elections.
Also the Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum and Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who was represented by the governor of Niger State and Chairman, Northern Governors' Forum, Alhaji Mu'zu Babangida Aliyu, promised, at the event, that the governors elected on the platform of the party will ensure that during the tenure of Tukur, all doors of factions were closed, just as they expressed total support and loyalty to the leadership of the party.
In his remarks, former Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief Tony Anenih, who spoke for the South South Zone, described the PDP boss as a manager of men, a bridge-builder, just as he warned that, if PDP must get it right, indiscipline must be addressed and there must be internal democracy.
Speaking for the South East, former PDP National Chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, said the message for Tukur was for him to succeed in his assignment.
Former Minister of Education, Professor Tunde Adeniran, who spoke for the South West, described the celebration as an emerging hope, a new dawn and a celebration of the passage of an old order.
Governor of Kogi State, Captain Idris Wada, who spoke for the North Central, urged the new leadership of the party to reposition the PDP to ensure that it wins all future elections.
Vanguard Nigeria