Tukur laments dwindling fortune of PDP

[MrVan]

By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairmanship candidate, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, Monday decried the dwindling fortunes of the party in the country.

Tukur who was in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State with his entourage, to solicit support from delegates ahead of the party's National Convention slated for March 24, noted with concern that the number of states controlled by the PDP had dropped from over 30 to 24.

He, therefore, stressed the need to renew the strength of the party using the principles of transformation which he said was in line with the agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Tukur lamented that prominent members of the PDP including some of its founding fathers had abandoned party over issues bordering on internal democracy and lack of a level playing field.

He said if elected to pilot the affairs of the party, he would begin a transformation agenda to restore confidence among party members and bringing back defectors.

Tukur who paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of the state, Seriake Dickson, promised to lead the party with the principles of equity, justice and fair play.

"There is the need for the party to be strengthened. We started this party with over 30 governors in the state. Today we have dropped to 24. We need to go up no doubt. So we need to really again start a programme of transformation. We need to remobilise our people; bring the people back to our party.

"Those who left because they felt they were not given fair hearing or level playing field; we will appeal to them to come because PDP is the good party for Nigeria. What the party needs is to continue to renew itself. If you give me your mandate, I will renew it. I will maintain equity, fair play so that we must be able to move forward and support our President with good programme of transformation.

Responding, Dickson said the state would back any candidate supported by Jonathan for the party's congress adding that delegates would after consultation cast their votes for the preferred candidate.

He called for detribalised PDP leadership that would support the transformation agenda of Jonathan and serve the best interest of the people of the Niger Delta region and other Nigerians.

While describing Tukur as a detribalised statesman, he further emphasised that the delegates would only vote for new party leadership that would promote the unity of the country and maintain the principles of justice and equity.

He said, "We will like a leadership of our party that will stand by the President. We will like to see the leadership that will believe him and expand the frontiers of the transformation agenda the basis of which the President got overwhelming mandate of this country for four years. We need a leadership that is detribalised; a leadership that believes in a united democratic Nigeria founded on the principles of justice and equity.

"We have a lot of challenges in the country and even within the party, there are so many factors threatening to tear it apart. We know you as an experienced detribalised statesman besides being a very successful businessman. We know that you have qualities that our party and this country needs at this time.

"We can only wish you well as you go on the electioneering. The decision as to who will be the chairman is the prerogative of the national convention. We the delegates from Bayelsa will speak and PDP and Nigeria will hear our voices".

Vanguard Nigeria