News: PDP crisis, a blessing in disguise -Tukur

THE National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, says the crisis rocking his party is a blessing in disguise.

Tukur, however, dismissed the insinuation of imminent implosion in the ruling party.

He restated the party’s claim that it had not been notified of the verdict of an Appeal Court ordering the reinstatement of  its sacked National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

He stressed the need for members of the PDP to work with unity of purpose, insisting that this was the way forward.

The PDP chairman said this, on  Friday, in Lagos, at a reception to commemorate his recognition as ‘African Man of the year 2013′, by the Congressional Black Caucus of  the United States.

Tukur stated that the PDP was in a class of its own for having the most diverse membership nationwide just as he called for unity within the party especially in the a South-west region.

He said “It is my prayer that the unity of purpose being exhibited here today would translate into political unity for the success of our party in the South-West in the coming elections,” he added.

According to him, “The problem our party is passing through is a blessing in disguise; we have to thank God that it is now a thing of the past, notwithstanding the exaggeration that the press is giving what ordinarily is a family feud.”

He argued that differences of the nature the PDP had witnessed in recent times were not unexpected in a party as big as the PDP which main focus is democracy.

Said he: “Each and every member of our great party is given freedom of expression; we dialogue and discuss freely, in the process we disagree, and this we all resolve amicably. “You will recall that almost all our members who left the party usually came back, because it is the only party in the country that allows freedom of expression and dialogue rather than operate a formal system, like others where directives are given for compulsory implementation by other leaders and members. God forbid that!

“Our party says election not selection; our party says consensus not imposition.”