Despite indications that Thursday may be his last day as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bamanga Tukur has maintained that the question of his resignation does not arise.
Speaking in the early hours of Thursday in Abuja, Mr Tukur said he was elected at a national convention and could only be removed at such a forum.
The party is currently holding its National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja where the fate of the national chairman is expected to be decided.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh had on Wednesday announced his resignation from membership of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and political analysts had said they expected Mr Tukur as well as other members of the NWC to follow suit.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had, a few months ago, declared that the process through which Mr. Metuh and some other members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) emerged in the party’s national convention last year was unacceptable and illegal.
The electoral umpire had condemned the exercise, noting that the process which produced 12 of the 16-member exco violated paragraph 6.5 (1) of the guidelines for the conduct of the 2012 congresses and national convention and, therefore, void.
The commission had listed the national officers of the party whose election violated the stipulated provision. They are deputy national chairman, Sam Sam Jaja, national organising secretary, Abubakar Mustapha, his deputy Okechukwu Nnadozie, national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, his deputy Binta Goje, national youth leader Garba Chiza, his deputy Dennis Alonge Niyi, deputy national auditor, Umar Ibrahim, national women leader, Kema Chikwe, her deputy, Hannatu Ulam, deputy national treasurer, Claudus Inengas and national legal adviser, Victor Kwon.
According to INEC’s acting director, legal, Ibrahim Bawa, “The mode of election adopted for single candidates was not in accordance with the mode of election stipulated in paragraph 6.5 (i) of the guidelines for the conduct of the year 2012 congresses and national convention and, therefore, not acceptable to the commission.”