A new national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is expected to emerge on Monday to replace Bamanga Tukur who resigned his position on Thursday.
President Goodluck Jonathan who announced Tukur’s resignation during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting said a new national chairman would emerge on Monday.
Jonathan said Tukur personally submitted his resignation letter to him on Wednesday night, even as he handed the letter to the party’s National Secretary, Prof. Adewale Oladipo right at the meeting venue.
The President said Tukur resigned to allow peace reign in the party, admitting that the former party chairman bowed out amid internal crises. The announcement was greeted with loud applause by party members.
Promising to give Tukur a more challenging appointment than that of party chairman, the President said crises are normal in any democratic setting and partisan environment.
Jonathan said: “We have some internal problems that have been agitating the minds of people and let us really thank the working committee led by Bamanga Tukur.
“They have done very well; the chairman of our party, we have all known. He didn’t just wake up to be chairman of our party, he has paid his dues. He had held several offices and worked for this country and he has done very well.
“For us to make sure that we rest these issues, the party chairman agreed to step aside. On some of the issues that we have internally, because I wouldn’t want to waste too much of your time, myself and the chairman would leave you and the deputy chairman will coordinate and the meeting will progress to discuss other things.
“Myself and the chairman will go to the State House for some issues that we need to discuss. He is not guilty in anyway. I am going to give him a tougher job than that of party chairman.”
On the myriad of internal crisis in the party, the President said: “It is a political environment; if these things are not happening, then the country is dead.
“We are going to meet again on Monday to get a replacement from the North East zone, in line with our party’s constitution.
“We are going to meet with key stakeholders to get a man or woman that is acceptable to all.”
The President, who moderated discussions at the meeting, declared that henceforth the various party organs would be meeting regularly for the purpose of tackling challenges as they arise.