The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has advised the national chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to step down immediately.
The opposition party made the call following the arraignment of one of his sons in the N1.7 trillion fuel subsidy scam.
ACN in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated that Tukur’s resignation would enable the party leader relieve himself of the huge moral burden placed on him by his continued stay in office.
“It is important to say here that the fuel subsidy scam trial will be held in two courts: the Court of Law and the Court of public opinion” the party stated.
According to the party, Alhaji Tukur’s position as the leader of the ruling party has created the perception that the on-going trial, involving his son will not be fair.
“While Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is not facing any charges in the court of law over the scam, he is definitely a star suspect in the court of public opinion. That is why many Nigerians are already insinuating that nothing will come out of the trial, especially as far as his son is concerned” the party stated, adding that “this is an allusion to the influence bestowed upon him by his high office.”
The statement further read that, “while we have nothing but absolute confidence in the ability of the judicial process to ensure justice, we believe that anything than can reinforce the impression of thwarted justice in the fuel subsidy scam trial should be removed. Alhaji Bamagar Tukur’s continued stay in office is one of such.”
A Lagos High court on Thursday granted bail to the sons of the former and serving national chairman of the PDP, Ahmadu Ali and Bamaga Tukur, and some other suspects indicted in the oil subsidy scam.
