Tukur calls on Rivers legislators to sheath the sword

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has called on the legislators in Rivers State to sheath their swords for peace to reign in the state and the House of Assembly.
Tukur made the call in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday and signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Oliver Okpala.
In the statement, Tukur urged the legislators to avoid overheating the polity by their actions, adding that democracy could not thrive in an atmosphere of violence and anarchy.
According to the statement, the PDP has no hand in the unfolding and unfortunate event in Rivers State House of Assembly as being speculated in some media.
It stated that it was the desire of PDP to see peace returned to the assembly in particular and in the state in general.
It said that the party was one big united family, stressing that no true member of the family would like to pull down the family’s political structure and existence.
It stressed that it must be appreciated by all that a threat to peace in any part of the country was a threat to the peace of the entire country.
It, therefore, enjoined Nigerians to join hands to ensure that peace returned to the state assembly, adding that without peace the country`s much coveted democracy would be meaningless.
On the forthcoming special congress and convention of the party, the statement assured that PDP leadership would ensure transparency and credibility in line with the dictates of true democracy.
It said the party’s national chairman has no special candidate and will not interfere in who wins at the convention.
The statement added: “Any candidate who wins must have done so on his/her own merit based on performance and excellent service to PDP.”