The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Alhaji Dr. Bamanga Tukur, has appealed for calm in Rivers State, just as he distanced the party from the crisis in the state.
According to a statement by Tukur’s special assistant on media, Prince Oliver Okpala, the reaction became neccessary following insinuations in some National Dailies that the PDP has a hand in the unfolding and unfortunate event in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The statement urged the warring Legislators to shield their sword for peace and sanity to return to the House and the State generally, cautioning the “Legislators to avoid overheating the polity by their actions as democracy cannot thrive in an atmosphere of violence and anarchy.”
He also underscored that it was “the desire of the PDP that peace returns immediately to the Rivers State House of Assembly in particular and the State in general”.
Tukur stated that the PDP is prevalent to the existence of peace in every part of Nigeria noting that “it must be appreciated by all and sundry that a threat to peace in anywhere in Nigeria is a threat to peace everywhere in Nigeria”
He remarked that the PDP as a Party preaches, encourages, and espouses peace in our Country and all facet of our National life adding that without peace our much coveted democracy will be meaningless. PDP is a united political family under one big umbrella and no true member of this united family will like to pull down the family’s political structure and existence.
On the forthcoming PDP Special Congresses and Convention, the National Chairman said there are no anointed candidates ahead of the party’s postponed special national convention, stressing that the substantive members of the National Working Committee would emerge from due process at the Congresses and the Special Convention.
He said that the Leadership of the Party will take practical steps to ensure that the forthcoming Convention and Congresses of the Party will be an epitome of transparent and credible election in line with the Party’s avowed creed for internal democracy.
He said that the Leadership of the Party will not have any hand in deciding who wins at the Congresses or the Special National Convention, since it is going to be transparent, free, credible and fair.
The National Chairman remarked that any candidate who wins must have done so on his or her own merit, performance and excellent service to the PDP “Those to be members of the New National Working Committee of the Party to fill the vacant position will emerge from due process and will be those the Party faithfuls as delegates will chose at the Congresses and the Special Convention”.
He therefore, made it clear, that the National Chairman of the Party or the Leadership of the Party has no special or anointed candidate for any position.
