• Ex Kogi gov asks party to replace them
A FORMER National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has described the emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the ruling party in Nigeria after the 2015 general elections as a result of peoples’ quest for alternative to a failed party.
According to him: “Democracy is government of the people by the people for the people. So, if the PDP fails to deliver on its promises, people will go to the alternative.Change is always good, provided it is going to bring better alternative.”
Meanwhile, former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris has advised the PDP to disband it’s leadership at the national level immediately to pave way for its return to power in 2019.
The former governor who stated this yesterday in Lokoja at the state PDP Elders Advisory Council meeting, said with the lackadaisical manner APC has been conducting it’s affairs it would be an easy ride for his party if it changes the top leadership and bring in new blood who will inject better into the party .
Tukur who spoke while featuring in a Kaduna based Liberty Radio programme, Guest of the Week at the weekend, blamed the PDP’s woos on lack of internal democracy.
He explained that the APC made all their members relevant by allowing them choose their leaders thereby guaranteeing internal democracy .
On the ordeal that forced him out as National Chairman, Tukur pointed out that: “Jonathan did not insist I leave the party, there are people in the PDP who felt I should not practice what I preach because discipline is very important.
Following the laws you established, is very important.When you do not want to follow the laws you established and you don’t change them, you have problems.
“President Jonathan could not protect me due to the powers of the governors, the governors ate very powerful and therefore, if you do not do what they want, you are done away with and I believe nothing can be done to them.”
Tukur also threw his weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari , just as he urged Nigerians to allow him lead lead the nation at his calculated pace .
On insecurity in the north east, he said: “In 2013, when Boko Haram elements started to emerge I said to Nigerians:If the country is attacked, all Nigerians must come together and resist such attack.”
Idris said the PDP has all it takes to wrest power from APC in 2019 if it changes its ways quickly and brings in new leaders , adding that the ruling APC does not have enough grip to stay in power for more than one term.
According to him, “PDP lost the last election because we were too proud. We were doing things out of the normal and thinking that the party will still continue to win election as usual but we got punished for it.
“However, there is hope for us to regain power. But we must first change our leaders. We must embrace fairness, justice and truth.
“Its not out of place for PDP to win the presidency in 2019. It will happen.
On the forthcoming election in the State, Idris indicated that PDP will be making the costliest mistake to allow APC win the governorship election. “It will be the biggest mistake if any other party takes over Kogi from PDP. I cannot imagine any other party taking away power from us. It will be the highest level of disgrace to us.
“Kogi is still a PDP state, nothing has shaken us, we are not afraid of the opposition. We have all it takes to deal with the opposition.”
