National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur on Wednesday advised ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to show respect to his fellow Elder Statesmen and patriots following the way he carries out personal attacks and vituperation on people in exalted positions.
Tukur was reacting to Mr. Obasanjo’s 18- page letter to President Goodluck Jonathan which was leaked online yesterday and has since gone viral.
In the letter titled “Before It Is Too Late”, Mr. Obasanjo had accused President Jonathan of using the PDP chairman to cause multiple crises and divide the ranks of the party. “It would be unfair to continue to level full blames on the Chairman (Tukur) for all that goes wrong with the party,” the former President said, adding that “The chairman is playing the tune dictated by the paymaster (Jonathan). But the paymaster is acting for a definitive purpose for which deceit and deception seem to be the major ingredients”.
But Tukur took serious exception to the insinuation that he was being tele-guided from the Presidency, saying Mr. Obasanjo ought to have known that he is a man of proven integrity and with a mind of his own.
Speaking yesterday on behalf of his principal, the Special Assistant, Media to Tukur, Prince Oliver Okpala said, “For such a statement against the person of the national chairman of the PDP to come from Chief Obasanjo, a former head of states and president is most unfortunate.
“Chief Obasanjo in his position as former president under the PDP platform should have known very well the Constitution of the party, the party manifestos as it relates to the independence of the PDP National Working Committee.
“For him to insinuate that the President is using the national chairman to cause multiple problems for the party doesn’t in any way portray him as a true democrat.
“Chief Obasanjo is very much aware of the fact that Dr Bamanga Tukur is a man of honour and proven integrity who shouldn’t be portrayed as a stooge to anybody.
“It is well known to Chief Obasanjo that Dr Bamanga Tukur is a man, who acts according to the dictates of his conscience and conviction and in line with the party constitution and manifesto.
“Dr Tukur as the national chairman and one of the founding fathers of the party can never allow his opinion or decisions to be teleguided by any external force as a principled administrator and seasoned politician.
“Chief Obasanjo’s statement is certainly an attack on the personal integrity and credibility of Dr. Tukur as an outstanding statesman of international repute.
“Chief Obasanjo is however advised to tread with caution over his personal attacks or vituperations against his fellow elder statesmen or those exalted holding political positions in the country”, Okpala said.
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