on Sunday met with the deputy national officers of the party and
begged them to help him retain his position.
At the meeting, Tukur urged them to support him during the January 16
National Executive Council meeting of the PDP.
One of the deputy national leaders, who attended the meeting, said
that Tukur expressed his anger over the attitude of many of the
members of the NWC toward his leadership.
He said that the national chairman was embittered that the national
officers had pitched tent with his political enemies.
Tukur was said to have told them that this was why he did not want
some of the national officers to return to their positions during the
last mini convention of the party in Abuja.
He claimed that from the way the national chairman spoke it was clear
that he was no longer sure of what would happen to him.
The source said, "We held the meeting at his residence where the
chairman asked for our understanding and begged us to support him by
lobbying for him ahead of the January 16 NEC meeting.
"It was disheartening listening to him because he felt he had done his
best for the party and President Goodluck Jonathan who he believed
might be under immense pressure to stop backing him.
"But we are not members of the NWC and it will be difficult for us to
help him settle the rift among the NWC members, who are also our
seniors in party hierarchy in the country."
When contacted, the Media Assistant to Tukur, Mr. Oliver Okpala, said
he was not aware of the meeting.
Okpala also described what was happening in the PDP as part of politics.
He dismissed claims that the national chairman was the problem of the party
Okpala said, " Dr. Tukur is not and can never be the problem of the
PDP. This is a party he has worked tirelessly to build; he cannot join
those who want to destroy it.
"What is happening now is part of politics but I can assure you that
the PDP has internal mechanisms to deal with issues and we will come
out of this crisis a bigger and stronger party."
Also, the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Mr.
Ahmed Gulak, said the party elders were looking into all party affairs
to resolve the perceived crisis.
Gulak expressed the belief that the party would emerge stronger by the
time the issues were finally settled.
"Party elders are looking into the party affairs. It cannot be
described as crisis really but I am sure that they will be resolved
and the party would emerge stronger thereafter," he said.
Meanwhile, the NWC has explained that the Governor of Akwa Ibom State,
Chief Godswill Akpabio, was not the sponsor of what they told the
President at their meeting with him on Thursday night.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief
Olisa Metuh, in Abuja on Saturday evening, exonerated Akpabio from the
crisis rocking the party.
The statement reads , "We wish to state unequivocally that the NWC is
not divided and members are not in any way influenced by any person
whatsoever in presenting their positions at the meeting with the
President.
"For the avoidance of doubt, all members of the NWC took turns to make
their presentations to the President in the meeting which dwelt on the
domestic affairs of our party. No member was in anyway represented and
none aired his or her view in represented capacity.
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