PDP has lost focus — Bamangar Tukur

founding member of theA
Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), at the weekend, took
a critical look at the party
and its future electoral
value and declared that the
party has lost focus,
saying that it would fade
out if not repackaged to its
original concept
Alhaji Tukur, who disclosed
this to newsmen in Abuja,
while formally declaring his
intention to contest for the
position of the national
chairman of the party at its
forthcoming national
convention, lamented that
the party, which is now a
shadow of itself, was
formed based on principle
of inclusiveness by its
founding fathers.also dismissed theHe
claims in the some quarters
that the party would be in
power in the country
forever, saying that “it is a
mere
wishful thinking,
unless the party does the
right thing, if not, it will
fade away soon.”
Alhaji Turkur, who is the
president of the Africa
Business Roundtable,
equally lamented the
constant imposition of
candidates in the party as
against popular choice,
declaring that this singular
act had cost the party
millions of its members
nationwide, who defected to
other political parties.
Alhaji Tukur, a former
governor of the Old
Gongola State, said the
problem with the party
started way back in
November 1999, during its
national convention in
Abuja, when the powers
that be prevented the late
Chief S.B. Awoniyi from
becoming the national
chairman of the party and
imposed Chief Barnabas
Gemade on the party.”
According to him, “the
national convention we had
in Jos, Plateau State, was
very free, fair and
credible, but then came that
of Abuja, where the late
S.B. Awoniyi was prevented
form becoming the national
chairman, another
candidate was imposed on
the party.”