ABUJA — Strong indications have emerged in
Abuja that ousted former chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has
been penciled down by President Goodluck
Jonathan as the next Minister of Defence.
While announcing Tukur’s retirement and
displaying the envelope containing the letter last
week, President Jonathan, who is the leader of his
party, revealed that he was going to reward the
former chairman with a very tough appointment.
Security sources told Vanguard, yesterday, that
contrary to the belief that Tukur was asked to
resign as PDP chairman because he ended up
causing disaffection within the party, President
Jonathan only told the former chairman to step
aside to enable a wholesome resolution of
perceived grievances of various camps who cited
Tukur as the problem.
The decision to reward the one time governor of
old Gongola State, according to the sources,
followed Jonathan’s conviction that Tukur is not
only a detribalised Nigerian, having worked with
him at close range, but that the former chairman is
somebody that cannot be bought over no matter
the incentive.
His dogged loyalty and resolve to stand by
President Jonathan even when governors,
including those of the G-5 who defected, allegedly
approached him with mouth watering incentives to
join the fray of those wanting to stop the President
from contesting the 2015 election, was cited as one
of the reasons.
Furthermore, Vanguard was told that in the coming
days and months leading to the 2015 elections,
tough times regarding issues of security
challenges are expected because security
agencies are already in the know about plans by
certain groups and elements to cause chaos and
destabilise the peace of the nation for selfish and
political interests.
According to the source,“the fact that the north
eastern part of the country has been the hotbed of
terrorism, leading to the declaration of a state of
emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states
last April, with some elders of the area, who are
allegedly sponsored, claiming that the military
onslaught on Boko Haram has ulterior motive” is
also said to have played a role in the President’s
decision.
“With Bamanga Tukur as Minister of Defence, and
overseeing the quest to have a terror-free society
and revival of peace and security in Borno, Yobe
and Adamawa states, the so-called elders and
groups who are politicizing very serious security
threats to the nation and its citizens will be made to
understand that government’s intention in the
North-East is noble,” the source added.
If he takes over as the minister, Tukur would
become the second PDP chairman to be appointed
Defence Minister after the appointment of former
chairman, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, to that
position in the past.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/01/appoint-
tukur-defence-minister/ my first frontpagr of d yea
Abuja that ousted former chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has
been penciled down by President Goodluck
Jonathan as the next Minister of Defence.
While announcing Tukur’s retirement and
displaying the envelope containing the letter last
week, President Jonathan, who is the leader of his
party, revealed that he was going to reward the
former chairman with a very tough appointment.
Security sources told Vanguard, yesterday, that
contrary to the belief that Tukur was asked to
resign as PDP chairman because he ended up
causing disaffection within the party, President
Jonathan only told the former chairman to step
aside to enable a wholesome resolution of
perceived grievances of various camps who cited
Tukur as the problem.
The decision to reward the one time governor of
old Gongola State, according to the sources,
followed Jonathan’s conviction that Tukur is not
only a detribalised Nigerian, having worked with
him at close range, but that the former chairman is
somebody that cannot be bought over no matter
the incentive.
His dogged loyalty and resolve to stand by
President Jonathan even when governors,
including those of the G-5 who defected, allegedly
approached him with mouth watering incentives to
join the fray of those wanting to stop the President
from contesting the 2015 election, was cited as one
of the reasons.
Furthermore, Vanguard was told that in the coming
days and months leading to the 2015 elections,
tough times regarding issues of security
challenges are expected because security
agencies are already in the know about plans by
certain groups and elements to cause chaos and
destabilise the peace of the nation for selfish and
political interests.
According to the source,“the fact that the north
eastern part of the country has been the hotbed of
terrorism, leading to the declaration of a state of
emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states
last April, with some elders of the area, who are
allegedly sponsored, claiming that the military
onslaught on Boko Haram has ulterior motive” is
also said to have played a role in the President’s
decision.
“With Bamanga Tukur as Minister of Defence, and
overseeing the quest to have a terror-free society
and revival of peace and security in Borno, Yobe
and Adamawa states, the so-called elders and
groups who are politicizing very serious security
threats to the nation and its citizens will be made to
understand that government’s intention in the
North-East is noble,” the source added.
If he takes over as the minister, Tukur would
become the second PDP chairman to be appointed
Defence Minister after the appointment of former
chairman, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, to that
position in the past.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/01/appoint-
tukur-defence-minister/ my first frontpagr of d yea
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