Lagos PDP pledges allegiance to Tukur

The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has expressed
its support for Mr. Bamanga Tukur as the National Chairman of the
party, saying it has not recognised the 'New PDP' faction, which has
Mr. Kawu Baraje as its national chairman.
The Publicity Secretary of the Lagos PDP, Mr. Taofik Gani, toldSUNDAY
PUNCHthat Tukur remained the only national chairman of the party
recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He said, "It is not proper, especially at this very premature stage,
to give recognition to any group of people who have decided to raise a
parallel leadership for the PDP, no matter which kind of radicalism
they want to bring in. It is the position of Lagos PDP that he who
must come to equity must come with clean hands. The idea of forming a
parallel executive is wrong. Everybody knows that executives can only
be elected at a valid national convention.
"They did not have any convention. What happened was that they walked
out of an ongoing convention and held a press conference and they say
they have an executive. That was undemocratic, which should be what
they are fighting against."
Gani added that it was unfortunate that the crisis in the party had
reached the stage where some people decided to rebel. He advised the
national leadership of the party to beware of the opposition.
He said, "We believe the leaders of the party should not be washing
the dirty linen of the party in the public. We are of the opinion that
Bamanga Tukur, as the national chairman of the party, should be
allowed to state his own part of the story. He should in turn allow
people to vent their anger within the provisions of the constitution
of the party.
"PDP needs to be careful now more than ever before because now we have
a vibrant opposition that is standing on the side to cash in on any
acrimony in the PDP. Let it also be known that the Lagos PDP is not
going to take hook line and sinker the assertion that these people who
call themselvesNew PDPare out to revolutionalise the party. This is
because the antecedent of some of them has shown that each time
election is coming up they are cheap material in the hands of the
opposition to sabotage the party."
He added that there was need for the party to resolve its problems so
that President Goodluck Jonathan would not be embarrassed if he sought
re-election in 2015