I went through hell as PDP chairman -Tukur

Ousted national chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Bamanga Tukur at the weekend took a retrospective look at his almost two years tenure admitting that he went through difficult times while in office.

Bamanga who made the revelation at his residence in Abuja at the weekend while hosting some clerics who visited and prayed with him insisted he had no regrets in all decisions he took to reform the party.

However, he expressed regrets that some members of the party preferred it to be run with what he called ‘the mentality of business as usual,’ because they were utterly opposed to any form of change.

Bamanga has advice for the incoming chairman: “A mortal who would lead the PDP must be fearless, consistent and focused.”

He pledged his loyalty to President Goodluck Jonathan saying “But for the doggedness of President Goodluck Jonathan and the wisdom he displayed in managing the affairs of PDP, the party would have long collapsed, given the ‘evil plots’ by certain members to completely destroy the party.”

According to him, personal ambitions, crave for sudden wealth and unimaginable level of treachery usually got the full attention of some stakeholders who he said had no interest of the party at heart.

He said: “I did my best to bring PDP to good standard and international best practices on politics. I came in with the mindset to reform the party by promoting the principle of election instead of selection and the idea of consensus instead of imposition. Alas, I was proved wrong by those who believed that the old order in PDP must be retained, not for any good thing, but for their selfish interests.” Bamaga said some party members got so desperate that they turned to the media and “funded all negative reports against me.”

He said he knew those behind such report who intention was to set him against President Jonathan.