Senator Abdul Ningi on Thursday in Abuja described Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, as the sacrificial lamb for the unity and stability of the party.
Ningi made this known after President Goodluck Jonathan presented Tukur`s resignation letter to the party`s National Executive Committee members.
Ningi, who seconded Governor liyel Imoke of Cross River State’s motion for the acceptance of Tukur`s resignation letter, said that Tukur had not violated any section of the party`s constitution.
He stressed that the outgoing party national chairman only sacrificed himself for the party following its recent crisis.
Ningi said that Tukur had not only sacrificed for the PDP, but the country at large.
According to him, his resignation as the party`s national chairman shows that the PDP cannot be run by an individual.
Tukur had before the President announced his resignation, thanked God and the party’s stakeholders for giving him the opportunity to serve.
He said: “It has been a matter of honour for me to have served our party and, indeed, a rare privilege to have become the national chairman.
“I am grateful to the seven deities of good luck with which the Almighty God has endowed me.
“I am delighted to have had the opportunity to nurture and deliver an idea.
“That is the need for discipline and internal democratic practices within the party.”
Tukur advised the party members to install new national values that were driven less by personal greed and power and more by national interest.
This, according to him, is critical to address the country’s challenges as well as that of the party.
He added: “As we reinvent the foundation of internal consensus, let us endeavour to flaunt the good works of our various governments at all tiers of governance.
“We shall overcome.”
Tukur`s resignation came at the heels of his recent fallout with members of the party’s 12-member National Working Committee.
The NWC members had on January 13, 2014 shunned an emergency meeting summoned by Tukur to mend fence with them.
NAN gathered that the NWC members had allegedly passed a vote of no confidence on Tukur at an earlier meeting held with the President.
According to sources at the party secretariat, the NWC members blame Tukur for the crisis rocking the party at the meeting with Jonathan.
Tukur, who assumed office in March 2012, had for some time now been fighting to save his position.
He had also been accused by some of the aggrieved PDP governors for being headstrong and responsible for the party’s current crisis.
The party’s current crisis was made obvious at last August’s Special National Convention when seven of its governors and their delegates walked out of the convention venue.
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