Bamanga Tukur says PDP will take over Zamfara in 2015

The PDP chairman spoke in Zamfara state

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bamanga Tukur, said Sunday that the party will take over Zamfara in 2015.

Mr Tukur spoke at the empowerment programme of Sahabi Ya’u, a senator representing Zamfara North Senatorial District in Gusau on Sunday.

He said the party will do its best to ensure that the seat lost during the 2011 gubernatorial election in the state was reclaimed in 2015.

According to him, the PDP is working towards bringing all its members through its reconciliation machinery to continue to give Nigerians good governance.

Mr Ya’u, who spoke at the presentation, said the welfare package was aimed at empowering his constituents.

Items distributed by the lawmaker include 40 fairly used cars, 100 tri-cycles, 600 motor-cycles and N10 million cash for 600 people across the constituency.

The constituency comprises Kaura-Namoda, Birnin-Magaji, Zurmi and Shinkafi Local Government Areas of the state.

The event was chaired by Gov. Ibrahim Shema of Katsina, who was represented by his deputy, Abdullahi Faskari.

Meanwhile the national leadership of the party has given reasons why majority of its members are rooting for Mr Tukur to continue as the national chairman of the ruling party.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh on Sunday said Mr Tukur’s maturity and fatherly disposition in tolerating opposing views even when the holders of such views cross the lines of civilized conduct is the hallmark of a statesman who is willing to build, rather than destroy an institution he co-founded.

“Alhaji Tukur as a founding father of the Party is a bridge between the original ideals of the formation of the Party and its contemporary existence. His understanding that the PDP is a broad-based coalition that exist to cement the bonds of national unity is the reason he is very accommodating to all views no matter how they may be personally inconveniencing to him,” the statement said.

The party further described Mr Tukur as “an astute pan-Nigerian patriot, an African icon and global statesman whose sheer industry, hard work and dedication have positively impacted on the PDP in just over one year as the National Chairman.”

It listed Mr Tukur’s strides to include “a pragmatic approach to Party administration through the relentless pursuit of the triple R agenda of Reconciliation, Reformation and Rebuilding which form the building blocks for a stronger and united Party”.

The party leadership also cited the excellent relations between the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Executive arm of Government and the Legislature as another milestone of the Tukur administration which has provided a common platform for a regular interface between both arms.

“Alhaji Tukur has ensured greater participation of the Party in the implementation of government programmes through regular monitoring of the performance of PDP members in government. The regular briefings from ministries, departments and agencies have helped reshape the approach to governance, making them truly accountable to the people.

“Similarly, the Tukur-led administration has strengthened the party’s statutory organs at all levels to ensure that the efficiency at the national level is replicated at the zonal States, Local and Ward levels in accordance with the PDP constitution, manifesto and the visions of the founding fathers.

This, the PDP noted is hugely responsible for the overwhelming victories recorded by the party in most of the bye-elections and local council elections held since 2012. The party also commended the national chairman for introducing “an uncommon spirit of sportsmanship in the Party which has seen it openly congratulate opponents in elections where the PDP lost” and urged opposition parties to “take a cue from this and ensure that political contests remain healthy and rancor free.”

The statement assured of Mr Tukur’s commitment to bequeathing a strong, virile and issue based party to the next generation of leaders and urged officials of the Party at all levels to emulate his broad-mindedness in party administration.