Former PDP Chairman, Bamanga Tukur Says ‘PDP Caused Own Downfall’ With The Defeat At The Polls

by Zenith Oduah

Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bamanga Tukur has said that the party is responsible for its downfall.

Tukur made the comment in Abuja on Thursday, April 23, 2015, via a statement titled “PDP- Were you not warned?”

The former chairman, in the statement, referred to a speech he had read during a PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) on Thursday, June 20, 2013, warning the party to change its ways.

“We had told them then that our focus for the future should be about consolidation and continuity and that goes beyond the plans of our opponents that PDP will fail.” Tukur said.

In the 2013 speech, Tukur had said:

“In our efforts to achieve success, we must rededicate our genuine political beliefs, change our attitudes and identify our political needs. We must strengthen our democracy through determination, not personalisation, correction, not manipulation, collectivism, not individualism and sacrifice, not disservice.”

“If these pronouncements are substantial then, the party should quickly take urgent steps to achieve higher levels, at least by coming to terms with democratic norms and practices.”

Tukur resigned from his post as PDP Chairman in January 2014 and was suspended from the party in December 2014 after suing the PDP in a bid to regain his position.