Politics

Tukur Urges Party Members To Face Challenges

Published

14 years ago

June 4, 2012

Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, PDP National Chairman has urged members of the party to work collectively to find solution to the country’s challenges instead of lamenting on issues.

Tukur spoke last Wednesday in Abuja at the inauguration of a 50-member advisory committee of the party.

“At a time like this when the country is facing a number of challenges, particularly the security situation in the country, all hands are required to be on deck,’’ he said.

According to him, the essence of constituting the committee which is made up of the founding fathers of the party is to avail Nigerians the opportunity to tap from their wealth of knowledge.

The chairman said that the committee would also assist him to rebuild the party, which was faced with some internal problems.

Tukur expressed optimism that the committee, headed by formal Vice-President Alex Ekwueme, would assist governments at various levels in finding lasting solutions to national problems and reposition the party.

“This is why I decided to ask all of you to assist me in not only repositioning our party but also proffering solutions to the enormous challenges facing our nation,’’ he said.

The chairman said although the party had grown tremendously in the last 13 years, it was still faced with some challenges that should be tackled.

He said some of the challenges were problems of coordination and cooperation among party members, respect for party constitution, problems of openness, inclusiveness, fairness, fair-play and internal democracy, among others..

He described most of the problems in the country as tough and had been made more difficult by the mindset of the people.

“We cannot reposition our party or be a leading force in deepening democratic culture in Nigeria unless we effectively address these problems and challenges,’’ the chairman said.

He said that the military culture of doing things had dominated the country’s political culture and stressed that a reversal of the situation was essential to enthrone true democratic culture.

He said “reducing corruption to a tolerable level and judicious application of the common wealth will be necessary if poverty reduction is to be effectively addressed and living conditions of the citizens bettered’’.

Tukur said that politicians of “deeds and not of words’’ who adhere to the rule of law were needed to achieve set goals.

He said that the protection of citizen rights, adequate protection of lives and property and modernisation of agriculture were needed to guarantee the country’s drive to nation-building.

Tukur urged politicians to rebuild the nation on the basis of shared responsibilities for all, irrespective of tribe and religion.

He expressed optimism that with the calibre of members of the newly inaugurated committee, things would begin to change for the better.

The party chairman urged the committee to be selfless in the discharge of its duty by giving useful advice that would enhance the growth and development of the country and the entire citizenry.

Responding, Ekwueme pledged that the committee would work with the party by giving meaningful advice that would move the nation forward.

He commended the chairman for appreciating that no one had monopoly of wisdom and for engaging the team to advise him.

Ekwueme assured the chairman that the committee would assist the party’s leadership to realise the ideas of its founding fathers which was to have an encompassing political party committed to serve the interest of the nation and its citizens.

Dr. Mohammed Shata would serve as secretary of the committee, which has Dr. Joseph Wayas, Chief Tony Anenih, Mr Richard Akinjide, Mr Solomon Lar , Alhaji Muhammadu Gambo, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, Sen. Ike Nwachukwu, Sen. Barnabas Gemade and Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo as members.

Other members are Sen. Ibrahim Mantu, Sen. Bello Maitama, Dr Sam Jaja, PDP Deputy National Chairman, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, PDP National Secretary, Chief Bode George and Chief Don Etiebet, among others.

Politics

LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A former National Organising Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Clement Ojukwu, has expressed regret that the several legal cases brought against the party since the 2023 general elections have impacted the party’s performance.

Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.

“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”

The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.

“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.

“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.

“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”

Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.

He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”

He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.

“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”

Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.

“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.

Politics

2027: NIGERIANS FAULT INEC ON DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP REGISTER DIRECTIVE

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A number of Nigerians have strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its directive to all political parties in the country to submit digitalized membership register within 32 days.

It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following it’s reversed timetable, directed all political parties in the country to submit their digitalized membership registers within 32 days.

Speaking on the reversed timetable in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, respondents said the directive amounted to disqualifying opposition political parties from fielding candidates in all the elections next year.

They said if the directives by the commission is implemented, only the All Progressives Congress (APC) would participate in the elections since it started it’s digital membership registration since February, last year.

Responding, an elder statesman in Rivers State, Chief Sunnie Chukumele, said the revised timetable was okay, but the timeframe for submission of digital membership register was being made at the wrong time.

Chief Chukumele said, for the past two years, all opposition political parties have been battling various issues in court, adding that they did not have the time to embark on membership drive, talk less of digitalizing their membership registers.

“My reaction is that the only issue with this revised timetable is the timeframe given by INEC for parties to submit digitalize memberships register in all the states of the federation, while giving notice of Congresses and convention. That is not possible”, he said.

He said only the ruling APC is likely to meet up with the directive, since it began its registration since last year.

Chief Chukumele, who is also the National Coordinator of Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought (CORSLOT), alleged that the directive of the electoral body may have been targeted to prevent other parties from fielding candidates for the elections next year.

“When you say all the parties should submit digitalized registers of membership in 32 days, how will that be possible to conclude it in 32 days”, he queried.

He noted that “APC used one year ago to do, so APC has one year in the kitty plus 30 days. This is highly regrettable”.

The CORSLOT national leader urged the election umpire to do away with stringent conditions that will make it hard for opposition political parties to field candidates in the elections.

Also speaking, Mr Jacob Enware from Edo State queried the rationale behind the directive, especially when some opposition political parties are still having cases in court.

In his words, ”What opposition political parties are you talking about, is Labour Party not in court or PDP that is yet to resolve their issues?

”For me, INEC should provide a level playing field for all, because aside the APC, no party can meet up this criteria.”

In his own response, Mr Nathaniel Ebere said he was not prepared to vote for anybody whether INEC provides a level playing field or not.

He alleged that his vote would not count, “so I will not waste my time”.

By: John Bibor

Politics

IT’S A LIE, G-5 GOVS DIDN’T WIN ELECTION FOR TINUBU – SOWUNMI

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Convener of The Alternative, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has expressed reservations about the political stance of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, while calling for reconciliation among key party figures.

Otunba Sowunmi made the remarks during a television interview on Saturday, when asked about the relationship between Gov. Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

He said, “I don’t believe Seyi Makinde. Because I know them all. I’ve been in this party since it was registered. And I’ve been loyal, faithful, diligent with this party from the get-go, and I’ve never left.”

He underscored his longstanding commitment to the PDP, referencing prominent figures who had exited the party at different times: “I’ve had the grace, and the honor, and the dignity of watching even my father, Obasanjo, shed his card. As much as I love him, I didn’t leave the party”.

He added, “I’ve had the privilege of watching my beloved senior brother, Governor Gbenga Daniel, leave the party a few times. As much as I respect his vision and his ideas, I’ve never left. I’ve watched my former principal, Atiku Abubakar, leave a few times. I’ve never left.”

Otunba Sowunmi stressed that his comments were rooted in deep involvement with the party: “So when I talk about PDP, I’m not talking as an outsider, I’m talking as one of their totems, who was actually carrying them.”

He disclosed that he wrote to Makinde during the governor’s last birthday, urging reconciliation among a bloc of five governors who had formed a movement during the 2023 elections.

“At Governor Seyi Makinde’s last birthday, I wrote him a letter where I tried to say, look, you guys, the five of you, succeeded to the extent of creating a movement of your own”, he said.

He added, “And you fought very hard to make a point in the 2023 election. Although I don’t believe you won the election for the president, that’s a lie. They contributed, but I hate when people take the glory of other people’s work.”

Otunba Sowunmi warned that unresolved differences among the group could weaken the party: “You guys, you must go back to your four friends, your five friends, and you guys go and sort it out. Because not sorting it out with your five friends is going to leave the party worse off.”

He added, “But now that you’re fighting, or you’re not agreeing with yourselves, why don’t you go back to that same energy that allowed you to agree, so that you can use that energy inside to agree, and then we can lead the party.”