Former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who was suspended by the party on Thursday for allegedly suing the party over his removal from office, has denied he took the party to court.
Tukur, who is now the Chairman of the Nigeria Railway Corporation told reporters in Abuja on Friday, that he was only a co-defendant in a suit filed by another member of the party and had to be represented in court on that account.
“My position on this case is simply that I have never taken my party to court. I have been sued myself as a defendant. The court cases are very clear. When I was sued to make appearance, naturally, my representative has to go to court and represent me. But I have never sued my party.
“I am a founding member of this great party. I am a member of the Board of Trustees of this party and I am past national chairman of this party. I know the constitution of this party. So, how is it possible that I will sue the party?
“It is just a misrepresentation of facts, maybe because I was sued as a co-defendant. Once you are sued, you have to appear. That is all I can say.”
Reacting to the issue of the affidavit he deposed to, which was thought to be against the PDP, Tukur denied there was anything of such.
“There can’t be affidavit. I can’t tell a lie. When they asked whether I resigned without giving the 30 days notice, that is correct,” he explained.
He however admitted that he did not discuss with the party when he found out that he was being represented, as he did not feel that it was necessary.
“I did not because there was no cause for me to do so. Because they know me as former chairman of this party, in fact, I would expect that they will call me and tell me what they are seeing. I have never been asked or contacted,” he stated.
The former party chair, however, said his suspension regardless, he wished the party well as he hoped that the PDP would do the right thing.
“I wish my party well. I don’t need to petition the party per se. I think they should do the needful because as a foundation member and the status that I have in the party, doing what they have done, I would say I wish them well.
“I believe today, if there is any Nigerian that wishes the party and the president well, I think I am one of them. I am the one who presented our president right from the beginning. Everybody knows that. So, anything to do with moving the nation forward under his leadership, I will do.”
The PDP had Thursday announced that it had suspended Tukur from the party for a period of one month, after a meeting of its National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja on Wednesday.
The National Legal Adviser of the PDP, Mr. Victor Kwon, who disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, had said Tukur was suspended for instituting a case against the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Ahmed Muazu, and seeking to stop the forthcoming national convention of the party.
Alhaji Aliyu Gurin, who filed a court case against the party and three others in which Tukur filed a claim and counter claim was also suspended.
Both men have now been referred to the disciplinary committee of the party for further action.
