Bamanga Tukur, ex-PDP chair, quits politics at 80
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NIGERIA: ON a day he clocked 80, the former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamangar Tukur, has said bye bye to active politics.
The PDP chieftain, who left his chairmanship seat under controversial circumstances ahead of the 2015 general elections, said it was time for him to forget politics and become a statesman.
His decision came a day after President Muhammadu Buhari extolled the sterling qualities of Tukur on his birthday.
“President Buhari joins Alhaji Bamanga’s family, friends, associates and well-wishers in rejoicing with him as he marks another notable milestone in a very worthy and fulfilled life,” the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina said in a release.
The erstwhile PDP chairman, who spoke in Abuja during a lecture to celebrate his birthday, said he had no doubt contributed his quota – through several political platforms – to serve the country, and that now was the right time to go into retirement from partisan politics.
“I deem it fit to use this opportunity of my 80th birthday celebration to announce my retirement from partisan politics,” he said, adding: “It is time to say goodbye to formal politics. I have used several political platforms to serve my country.”
“I leave partisan politics for the younger generation,” Tukur stressed, while adding: “I want to be a statesman and an adviser.”
“At the age of 80, I feel I can serve our dear nation more in the capacity of a statesman and father figure,” the ex-PDP chairman said.
Buhari, in his message, extoled the contributions of Tukur to the political and socio-economic development of the country.
“The President seizes the opportunity of the Tafidan Adamawa’s 80th birthday to reaffirm the nation’s enduring gratitude for his significant contributions to Nigeria’s political and socio-economic development over many years,” Adesina quoted the President who described Tukur as “one of Nigeria’s foremost entrepreneurs, political leaders and elder statesmen.”
The president praised the former Governor of the old Gongola State for his “diligent and patriotic service to his community, state and country as a public servant, political leader and accomplished businessman of international repute.”
Buhari also commended the “exemplary political maturity and commitment to national peace and development displayed by the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in being one of the first to congratulate him after his victory in the March 28th presidential elections.”
The president prayed that “Allah will bless Alhaji Bamanga with many more years of good health and the company of his loving family and numerous friends within and outside Nigeria.”
