Bamanga Tukur’s Wife Registers For APC

Wife of the sacked People’s Democratic Party’s Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Hajiya Asiya Mohammed Bello yesterday registered as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Gabasawa Ward in Unguwan Rimi, Kaduna North Local Government area of Kaduna State with registration card number 0623374.

Our correspondent, who monitored the ongoing APC registration in Kaduna yesterday confirmed that she had registered before he arrived but however got details of her registration from the registration officer.

Efforts  to speak with Asiya Bello when our correspondent visited Tukur’s residence at Gwari Crescent in Unguwan Rimi as to why she choose to go with the APC and not the PDP, her husband’s party was not successful. She was said to be fasting and ready to pray after the break of the fast and will not be available to speak.

The house is a duplex with several boys quarters located at a sharp bend on a large expanse of land at the Gwari Crescent GRA of Unguwan Rimi.

According to Malam Yahaya Gambo, who claimed to be Asiya Bello’s driver, “It is true that Hajiya Asiya registered today with of the APC” while showing her registration card which was still in his possession. He, however, said, “You will not be able to speak with her because she fasted today and she is preparing to break the fast and pray, you may wish to come and see her at about 9 or 10am tomorrow (Today)”.

Also confirming her registration, the supervising officer for the registration of the APC in Kaduna north in Kaduna State, Shaibu Lilly, said, “It is true that our registration officer registered Tukur’s wife and issued her a registration card. This is one of the developments of democracy in Nigeria where you see an immediate past PDP chairman’s wife registering for APC”.

“As far as I am concerned, they might be united as husband and wife but may have different opinions as the far as the political scenario is concerned, it is to show you that it is a falling period for the PDP”.

He said the crisis in the party in Kaduna State which was due to different opinions of the members has not in any way affected the registration exercise as many party members trooped out to register, describing the registration exercise as very successful.

Asked whether Hajiya Asiya was sponsored by PDP or her husband to register in APC for ulterior motives, Lilly said, that is not true but simply democracy at work.

A close family source to the Bamangas, who craved for anonymity confirmed to FRIDAY LEADERSHIP that Asiya is still Bamaga Tukur’s wife and that the house also belong to him.

When contacted, an APC chieftain in Kaduna State, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed said he cannot confirm her registration as he was in Abuja for an official engagement.

He however said, “I do know that Bamagar’s wife has been a supporter of the APC. She has been a progressive person.”

When the Kaduna State PDP Chairman, Chief Abubakar Gaiya Haruna was contacted on the development, he simply said he was not in Kaduna and was not aware of the matter, as such could not speak on it.

He said, “well, I am not aware of that, am presently not in Kaduna and cannot speak on the matter.”

When asked whether or not he knows any of  Bamanga Tukur’s wives in Kaduna, he said “Bamanga Tukur is a Muslim and may have more than one wife, I have been to his house several times here in Kaduna and Abuja but I have not seen any of his wives, so I cannot point at any of his wife because I have never met any of them”.

Tukur Expresses Confidence In Mu’azu’s Leadership Qualities

The immediate past National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has expressed the confidence that his successor, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, will unite the dissenting groups within the party.

In a statement he issued on Tuesday, Tukur, who was conspicuously absent at Mu’azu’s inauguration on Monday, said the former Bauchi governor’s emergence as party chairman was a clear manifestation of his unique leadership qualities, visionary and purposeful disposition as well as his immeasurable contributions to the growth of the PDP.

He said, “This new appointment is a call to serve your fatherland, which bestows great responsibility on your shoulders.

“I am confident that you will not only discharge your duties effectively, but will leave an indelible mark in the area of rebuilding the party in line with the transformation agenda of Mr. President.

“It is my sincere prayer that the Almighty Allah will endow you with wisdom to bring these positive and result-oriented qualities to bear as you assume the leadership of our great party”.

PDP crisis: Only a convention can remove me – TUKUR

Chairman must resign- aging

*Tukur

Tukur however, told newsmen that there was no basis for him to resign as no one has successfully proved any allegation of wrong doing against him.

He also dismissed the allegation that he had been asked to resign by the President, accusing the opposition of peddling rumour to cause disharmony in the party.

According to him, the National Chairman of the party can only be removed by a Convention and not by any other organ.

However, the botched NWC meeting, Vanguard gathered was aimed at resolving the lingering political crisis in the party that led some members of NWC to report Tukur to the leader of the party, President Goodluck Jonathan.

The NWC members told Jonathan that they had lost confidence in Tukur’s leadership, calling for his removal.

Tukur was to use yesterday’s meeting to appeal to members of NWC for forgiveness with a promise to turn a new leaf.

At the party’s secretariat yesterday, Tukur drove in at 11.45 am expecting other members of NWC to arrive for the meeting slated for 12 noon but majority of them did not show up until 2.25 pm.

The only officers who kept the National Chairman company in his office while he waited for the botched meeting were the National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo; National Auditor, Adewole Adeyanju and the National Treasurer, Bala Buhari.

Members of NWC who shunned the meeting included the Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus; National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh; National Organising Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha; National Financial Secretary, Elder Bolaji Anani; National Woman Leader, Mrs Kema Chikwe; National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwom; National Youth leader, Abdullahi MaiBasira and the deputy National Secretary, Onwe Solomon Onwe.

The absentee NWC members were said to have converged on a separate venue outside the national secretariat of the party where they concluded plans on how to execute the removal of Tukur.

Some of the NWC members who did not attend the meeting at the separate venue stayed in their offices even as Tukur waited for them but refused to see him until the National Chairman drove out of Wadata Plaza at 2.32 pm.

Tukur was forced to leave the secretariat when it dawned on him that the NWC members were not prepared to have any discussion with him.

There are 12 NWC members, according to Article 29(1) of the 2012 amended constitution of PDP, including the National Chairman.

Article 29(3) of the party’s constitution stipulates that “the quorum of NWC shall be two-third of the membership drawn from a least two thirds of the zones in the country and a simple majority shall pass any motion.”

Speaking with Vanguard separately, the NWC members said that they had made up their minds that Tukur must go for peace to return to PDP, as they had passed a vote of no confidence on him.

One of the leaders told Vanguard that, “it is totally unwise for us to hold any meeting with him, especially now; when he had refused to meet with us in the past. Is it because we complained to President Jonathan that we can no longer work with him that he is looking for a soft landing. He cannot fool us; it is too late, decision of BoT and national caucus is binding on everyone in the party.

“Another NWC member who spoke also said, “we refused to attend the meeting because we have made up our minds and there is no going back. Tukur failed to call for meetings and even when he travelled, NWC members would not be informed. We will only hear that he was in China and other countries, and will not instruct his deputy, Prince Uche Secondus to preside while he was absent.

He simply created vacuum in the party, nothing was moving, our proposals were lying on our tables and members were decamping to the opposition APC before our very eyes. We can no longer take that. We are tired of him, he must go. We want to work and win election, especially the 2015 Presidential election.”