Tukur: Amaechi, Wamakko’s Suspension Not Malicious

PDP Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tuku

By: Chuks Okocha

For the second time in less than 48 hours, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has said the suspension of the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi and his Sokoto State counterpart, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, was not out of hatred but as a measure to enhance discipline within the party.

Speaking during the inauguration a group called the PDP Reloaded Group, which has the former Deputy President of the Senate, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu, Tukur said the suspension of Amaechi and Wamakko was not out of vengeance but a disciplinary measure.

“As a party, there must be discipline. A house without discipline is bound to fail. We must be disciplined to win elections,” he said.

He enjoined other members of the party to embrace peace in order for the party to forge ahead with its numerous developmental programmes.

However, Mantu, while receiving the flag of authority from Tukur at the inauguration, said he would among other things propagate the achievements of the PDP government.

He lamented that the achievements of the PDP-led government at all levels of government had not been given enough publicity, stressing that opposition parties had taken advantage of the poor publicity government's programmes to emphasise only the negative aspect of governance.

Meanwhile, a political activist, Daniel Richards, has chided the leadership of the PDP over its decision to set up a panel in Taraba State to investigate the health condition of Governor Danbaba Suntai.

Richard, who told journalists in Abuja on Monday, that the whole exercise was a foul play, wondered why PDP did not set up similar panel in Enugu and Cross Rivers States, when their governors were absent from the states.

“Why didn’t they do the same to Enugu or during the period of the late Yar'Adua’s illness? It’s the same PDP, it’s the same constitution they are operating. It is not an alleged foul play; it is foul play in this matter. And I challenge Tukur and his crew. Let them come clean and tell Nigerian people the reason why they are selecting Dambaba.

“There is foul play in this and I challenge Tukur to tell me why he gave this power to select the governors he will go and investigate their well beings with the hope of removing them. It’s not an allegation. They are antecedents already. It has happened before,”