By Bode Olagoke
Abuja
A former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has reminded the party of his earlier warning in 2013 concerning the possibility of suffering defeat in the 2015 general elections if its leaders did not mend their ways.
In a statement in Abuja, captioned “PDP: Were You Not Warned?” Tukur reminded his co-PDP leaders of the speech he read at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of Thursday, June 20, 2003, which he presided over, as the then chairman.
He pointed out that he had warned his colleagues to have a change of attitude if the party must succeed.
He had said in that speech: “In our efforts to achieve success, we must rededicate our genuine political beliefs, change our attitudes and identify our political needs.
“These good values cannot be realised without accepting the supremacy of the party’s constitution as key instrument that ensures progress, stability and internal discipline.”
The former chairman said he recalled telling his party members then: “We must strengthen our democracy through determination, not personalisation; correction, not manipulation; collectivism, not individualism, and sacrifice, not disservice.”
He added: “If these pronouncements are substantial then, the party should quickly take urgent steps to achieve higher levels, at least by coming to terms with democratic norms and practices.”
He advised the party members then to accord President Goodluck Jonathan some measure of respect, saying: “We owe ourselves a duty to protect, project and support our President to leave behind a lasting legacy for the Nigerian.”
Tukur said he had warned that the party could not afford to be run through severe underfunding, arguing, “Democracy is a serious business but easily broken, it is a small commodity of exceptional value reserve.”
He said he was now having the last laugh at “the party’s poor outing” in the recently concluded general elections, which could be rightly attributed to the way his advice was ignored and how he was edged out of office.