Tukur Denies Insulting Aliyu, Kwankwaso, Others

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Bamanga Tukur, on Wednesday disowned a statement by his media aide in which the PDP chair was said to have slammed five northern governors whose statements were described as “unguarded.”

Tukur said he never asked his spokesman, Oliver Okpala, to abuse the governors for calling for the PDP chairman’s removal as a precondition for peace to reign in the party.

It was however learnt in Abuja on Wednesday night that the embattled Tukur was pressurised to repudiate his abuse of the governors.

The governors – Aliyu Babangida (Niger); Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano); Aliyu Wamakko(Sokoto), Sule Lamido (Jigawa); and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) – were said to have canvassed the removal of Tukur as chairman during their series of meetings with ex-dictators Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar; and ex-Presidents Shehu Shagari and Olusegun Obasanjo.

They were said to be planning to meet other leaders like Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Chief Ernest Shonekan and Lt.-Gen. T.Y. Danjuma (retd.)

Okpala, speaking for Tukur in a statement on Tuesday, described the governors’ demand for his removal as unguarded and asked them to desist from acts which he said were capable of truncating the nation’s democracy.

He had advised the governors to pass their grievances through the normal party channel instead of fanning the embers of disunity in the party.

He had said whereas the governors had the fundamental right to meet and discuss with each other and express their views, such views and comments must be in tandem with civilisation, decorum and humility.

He had also asked the governors to show respect to constituted authority and leaders, including the PDP national chairman who he said, had contributed immensely to the peace process and development of the country.

In a twist on Wednesday, however, Tukur denied authorising Okpala’s statement and that he could not possibly abuse the governors over their “consultative efforts” to restore peace to the party.

In another statement in Abuja, Tukur, who spoke through another aide, Ahmed Gara Gombe, said he was currently in Saudi Arabia for the Lesser Hadji and that he did not approve Okpala’s statement.

But it was learnt that Okpala’s statement was indeed seen and approved by the embattled PDP chairman before he travelled to Saudi Arabia.

Source: Legit.ng