Politics
How Bamanga Tukur Emerged PDP Chairman
Amidst intrigues, suspense, backstabbing and eventual denouement, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in last Saturday’s National Convention proved its stance as a colossus, with master strokes that doused what otherwise appeared a time bomb waiting to explode.
Although reports from the wards, LGA and state congresses of the party indicated that there was relative peace in the choice of party leaders at those levels, a deadly contest and angling for supremacy were the hallmark of the choice of the national leadership of the party.
Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Abubakar Baraje acknowledged the challenges of maintaining internal cohesion ahead of the contentious National Convention, while inaugurating the National Convention Planning Committee.
The acting chairman stated; “PDP has found its foots rigidly in the annalls of this country, all eyes are on the PDP to see if it could hold a free and fair congress, I have no doubt that members of the committee have the ability and credentials to deliver a free and fair congress”.
It is no doubt that the PDP had held sway conspicuously in Nigerians Political scene for the past one decade. Expectedly, Nigerian waited agitatedly as the party arranged a change of guard in its leadership at all levels.
It was glaringly evident that the ruling party was equally confronted with the challenges of convincing Nigerians that they were not only in firm grip of the Political Structures of the country, but that their internal mechanism was intact.
Interestingly, the 2012, National Convention became a period of self assessment of its internal cohesion and expression of its inherent political will, to re-affirm its dominance in Nigeria’s politics.
The option for Concensus became a political variable to stabilise its structures and save the party from the unwinking scrutiny of Nigerians. Apart from the wards, local government and state congresses, which were predicated on existing internal agreements among the party stakeholders, the Concensus option had its roots essentially at the choice of National leadership of the party. The option was also believed to have emanated from the presidency to forestall division and dissenting views in the choice of National leadership of the party. However, about 11 candidates threw their hats into the ring for the Coveted National Chairmanship Position of the party.
The contenders included: Prof Rufai Alkali, Idris Waziri, Alhaji Shettima Mustapha, Musa Babayo, Adamu Bello, Gambo Lawan, Adamu Muazu, Sen Abba Aji, Bunu Sherif, Ibrahim Birma, and Bamanga Tukur, all from the North East Geo-Political zone of the party where the chairmanship was zoned.
Among all the contenders, Bamanga Tukur, who emerged as the National Chairman of the party at the end of the National Convention, was the most favoured in the Concensus deal.
In the build-up to the National Convention of the party, the decision on concensus was however, seen by many Party Stalwarts as a skewed decision, not in the overral interest of the party, but to serve some vested partisan interests ahead of 2015.
This put paid to the humiliating defeat suffered by the new National chairman, Bamanga Tukur, in his North East zone were the party chairmanship was zoned. But the presidency was said to have insisted on clearing the bumps on the political highway to the emergence of the preffered candidates for the party’s National executive.
Sources attributed the humiliating defeat of Tukur in his political zone to the antics of the North East Governors, who felt his emergence as a National Chairman of the Party was not in the best interest of the zone. The North East Governors, apparently said in Tukur a compromising stance against the interest of the zone ahead of the 2015 general election.
But the presidency was said to have re-acted swiftly to their decision as “sheer ingratitude” and lack of compliance of their own side of the bargain, inspite of conceding the National Chairmanship of the party to the zone.
Apparently jilted by the revolt of the North East Governors, in the choice of Tukur, the presidency was said to have adopted a deft move to nib in the bud further embarrassment in the eventual outcome of the National Convention.
Finally, the North East Governors and other dissenting voices in the choice of leadership of the party bowed to submission as the National executive emerged on concensus.
It was obvious that the North East Governors succumbed to the deft move of the party through intense lobbying and persuation to avoid further balcanisation and the prospect of incurring the wrath of the presidency.
Prior to the voting by delegates from across the 36 states of the federation, the Governors of the North East states, took turn to register their solidarity and support for the preffered presidential choices for the various National executive positions.
The contenders for the National chairmanship, and secretary positions also bowed out in support of Bamanga Tukur, and Olagunsoye Oyinola respectively.
The past vice chairman South East of the party, Chief Olisa Metu emerged the sole candidate for the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, while former Aviation Minister, Kema Chikwe emerged as the National women leader of the party.
Against the backdrop of being arm twisted to step down for favoured candidates, most of the top contenders for the prime administrative. Positions said they gave up their ambition in the interest of the party.
Ebenezer Babatope, a contender for the Post of Secretary, in a reluctant step down declaration said, “I am not withdrawing for any body, but for the party, I have been prevailed upon by friends to step, but I was determined to go ahead even if I was going to get one vote”.
The intense power play and political permutations that characterized the PDP National Convention, was also evidently masterminded by the Governors forum, which took it upon itself to ensure that the decision of the party went through smoothly.
PDP Governors were visibly spotted around the convention arena trying to convince contestants for the various positions to drop their stance. Sources, revealed that the moves of the Governors were the fallout of a midnight meeting held with the presidency and leadership of the party to perfect the strategies of concensus.
The eventual emergence of Bamanga Tukur as the National Chairman of PDP, apart from its purported close link with, the presidency, is also seen by many party supporters as an opportunity to redefine the leadership posture of the party.
Tukur is seen by many PDP members as a man with the requisite knowledge and experience to deliver the party to its expected political Eldorado.
“For the PDP to forge ahead in its control of political powers in Nigeria, and bring internal democracy in the party, it needs people like Tukur”, said a top party official.
Tukur, a former governor, of defunct Gongola state, had in his acceptance speech, after being sworn-in by Joe Gadzama (SAN), vowed to put in place dedicated and transparent leadership that will rekindle the faith of all party members and Nigerians in the party.
He said; “I will build a bridge across faith, generations, and tendencies, and lay the foundation for a new Nigeria. I will be guided by the constitution and manifestoes of the party, I will also adhere to the principle of separation of powers, check and balances and the rule of law”.
The New National Chairman of the party, also called on those who contested for various positions to throw their weight behind him to enable the party grow from strength to strength.
However, inspite of the successful emergence of party leaders from the wards to the National executive, a major lesson from the just-concluded PDP Convention is the ability of its big umbrella to accommodate all interests, no matter whose ox is gored.
The convention reconciled hitherto political foes within the party and also created new internal animosities among the political players. Political jobbers also took advantage of the political scenario, to coast home on personal gratifications and vested interests.
But in the final analysis , President Goodluck Jonathan redefined the new vision and road map of the party when, at the end of the convention, he declared the convention will churn out a stronger and more disciplined PDP, were party interest will supercede personal interest.
Taneh Beemene
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun deploying non-sensitive materials to the zones as it prepares for the 2027 general election.
Acting Chairman of the commission, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday at a bench-marking meeting with a delegation of Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
“Right now, all non-sensitive materials are almost ready. In fact, today as we speak here, the non-sensitive materials have been lifted to some zones now,” Gumus said.
She said the commission had completed nine of its scheduled activities and was preparing for the next phase.
“We are preparing for the election next year and we have activities lined up. So far, we have been able to complete nine activities and we are still preparing for the next level of activities,” she said.
Gumus said the commission’s leadership had just concluded a tour of the country’s six zones to assess their level of preparedness.
“The purpose was to go round the zones to see how prepared we are, assess what the zones have put in place, their challenges and what to do. We concluded last week and we can see from our tour that we are really going towards the election proper,” she said.
On Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the acting chairman said production had been completed and distribution to the states was well advanced.
“As of today, we can say that PVCs have been produced and the first, second batches, most of the states have received them. Their PVC collection is ongoing. All those who are supposed to be the voters are supposed to receive their PVCs, and if they don’t have them, it is also another challenge,” Gumus said.
She added that capacity building was under way for staff at the headquarters and in the states, and that the procurement and deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System BVAS devices were also ongoing.
On diaspora voting, Gumus said the commission could not proceed for now because the law did not provide for it.
“Here, because we go by the law, in our electoral law, it is not included there, so we cannot go on for the diaspora voting for now until we amend the electoral law,” she said.
The acting chairman said the commission had arranged for its directors to hold an interactive session with the Kenyan team and present papers on the work of their departments.
Leading the delegation, the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Isaac Parashina, said the IEBC team was in Nigeria to benchmark ahead of Kenya’s general election in August 2027.
He said the team was studying how Nigeria handled its diaspora population and special voting groups, as Kenya sought to widen voting rights for citizens living abroad.
“Currently we have about 12 of them who voted in the last general election, but there is intention to expand to around, I think, 26,” Parashina said, referring to the countries where Kenyans abroad vote.
He said the expansion was a constitutional requirement backed by Kenyan court rulings, and would be enforced progressively.
Parashina said Nigeria’s election, which he noted would come in two rounds, would be closely watched across Africa.
“Everyone is looking at what Nigeria will do because it is the biggest democracy in Africa. The success of Nigeria remains a great success to Kenya and indeed to the continent,” he added.
The High Commissioner thanked INEC for receiving the team despite a tight schedule and wished the commission success.
Governor Douye Diri has set a target of at least one million votes for President Bola Tinubu in Bayelsa State in the 2027 presidential election, while charging the newly inaugurated All Progressives Congress (APC) State Campaign Council to prioritise reconciliation, party unity and collective electoral mobilisation.
Governor Diri gave the charge at the inauguration of the 20-member campaign council at the APC secretariat in Yenagoa, where he warned that internal divisions could undermine the party’s efforts to secure victory for President Tinubu and other candidates at the federal and state levels.
Governor Diri urged party members who were not appointed to the council to support its activities by taking the APC’s message to communities, wards and polling units across the state.
He specifically charged the campaign team to mobilise at least one million votes for President Tinubu, arguing that Bayelsa’s voting strength had increased and should be reflected in the 2027 election results.
“I give you a target that in Bayelsa, we must not bring less than one million votes for Mr President. You are going to campaign, and you have a lot to talk about the President. He has done so much for our people,” the governor said.
He listed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the second phase of the Nembe-Brass Road, interventions in the power sector, federal appointments for Bayelsa indigenes and the establishment of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy among the achievements the campaign should present to voters.
The governor particularly praised President Tinubu for the coastal highway project, arguing that it reflected federal attention to the development needs of coastal communities.
“No president, alive or dead, has remembered the coastal people and coastal states to say let us do this signature project from Lagos to Calabar. The first president to think about it is Bola Tinubu, and those were the demands of the Ijaw people,” he said.
Governor Diri also expressed hope that a second term for President Tinubu would provide an opportunity to advance demands for fiscal federalism, greater resource control and state policing, which he described as longstanding aspirations of the Niger Delta.
He said the President had shown indications of addressing some of the demands of younger Nigerians and argued that re-election would allow the administration to consolidate its reforms.
The governor further cautioned campaigners against personal attacks and abusive exchanges with political opponents, insisting that the APC should focus its campaign on issues, policies and achievements.
The governor’s mobilisation directive comes amid criticism from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has questioned his commitment to President Tinubu’s re-election campaign, alleging that APC campaign billboards erected across Yenagoa promote other party candidates without featuring the President.
The PDP, through its Publicity Secretary, Mr Ikaebimo Mark, said the billboards showed Governor Diri urging voters to support APC candidates for the National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections without identifying President Tinubu as the party’s presidential candidate.
Mr Mark described the omission as an indication that the governor was not fully aligned with the APC’s national leadership.
“When we said that the governor, Senator Douye Diri, is not supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we knew exactly what we were saying. Now Governor Douye Diri has erected APC campaign billboards across Bayelsa State without Tinubu’s picture. He is even afraid to associate himself with the photograph of the presidential candidate of his own party. How can this governor claim to be supporting President Tinubu?” he said.
The PDP, however, maintained that the governor’s public campaign posture raised questions about his commitment to the President’s re-election bid. Its allegation over the billboards now places the issue of the relationship between the state APC leadership and the party’s national campaign among the political questions likely to feature in Bayelsa’s preparations for 2027.
The PDP’s allegation has introduced a fresh political dimension to the APC’s preparations in Bayelsa, even as Governor Diri publicly called on party leaders and members to close ranks and mobilise support for all its candidates.
“Every person picked as a member of this campaign council was carefully scrutinised. I want to tell you that our campaign team is loaded. We parade the best candidates among all the parties in Bayelsa State, and there is no doubt about that,” he said.
He urged members to remain focused and united, warning that political opponents could exploit any divisions within the party.
“Our unity is very important because they would want to feast on our disunity. We will not give them that opportunity. Please, as you carry out this assignment, do not take your eyes off the target,” Hon. Ogoriba said.
SP Edafe explained that during the meeting, the organisers were briefed on the identified security threats and advised against embarking on an open-road procession.
Instead, the police reportedly recommended that the political activities be conducted at a designated venue where adequate security arrangements could be provided.
However, the Command alleged that the organisers disregarded the security advice and proceeded with the road procession.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Government has condemned the political violence that erupted in Asaba, the state capital, on Saturday, confirming that one person was killed while four others sustained serious injuries.
The government described the incident as unfortunate and unacceptable, warning political parties and their supporters against actions capable of threatening public peace, security and democratic participation in the state.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, the government reiterated its zero tolerance for political violence, intimidation and other forms of political misconduct.
Mr Aniagwu said the government had repeatedly cautioned political parties against engaging in activities capable of disrupting the peace, insisting that the incident could have been avoided if the organisers had followed security advice.
According to him, the police had advised the organisers to cancel the proposed street march and instead conduct their political campaign at a designated venue where adequate security arrangements could be provided.
He expressed concern that the advice was allegedly disregarded, resulting in a confrontation that claimed one life and left four other people seriously injured.
The government subsequently called on the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the violence and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.
Mr Aniagwu further warned that the state government would not tolerate politically motivated attacks against any individual, regardless of political affiliation.
He maintained that Delta State remained safe for residents and visitors, stressing that the government would not allow the actions of individuals or groups to undermine the prevailing peace and security in the state.
The government also urged political parties, their leaders and supporters to conduct their political activities within the confines of the law and demonstrate respect for human life, public order and the rights of other citizens.
The latest development follows an attack on supporters of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) during a political procession in Asaba, which reportedly left several participants injured and campaign vehicles vandalised.
The government’s condemnation comes amid growing concerns over political violence and the safety of opposition supporters as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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