The embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bamanga Tukur, has resigned.
A caucus member of the National Working Committee of the party, who confided in our correspondent in Abuja early on Wednesday, said President Goodluck Jonathan will inform the meeting of the National Caucus of the party tonight in Abuja about the development.
With the resignation, Tukur has escaped being suspended from the party by the members of the NWC if he had refused to resign. Tukur was to be suspended by about eight members of the NWC, while the National Executive Committee of the party would ratify his suspension on Thursday.
Meanwhile, our correspondent gathered that the wife of the President, Patience Jonathan is said to be scheming to install Tukur’s successor.
Her decision, it was gathered, was informed by the need to keep a stranglehold on the party leadership ahead of the 2015 general electon.
Already, the First Lady is said to be rooting for the appointment of the Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar.
Umar, whose ministry is said to be under indirect supervision of the First Lady is considered suitable and a willing too in the Jonathan’s desperation to control the party hierarchy, which they consider critical in the build up to his emergence as the party’s flag bearer in the 2015 presidential election.
However, the governors are resisting the move.