A very strong indication emerged late Tuesday night that the embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bamanga Tukur may have bowed to pressure to resign from his plum position.
The caucus of the ruling PDP met Tuesday at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, to determine the fate of Mr. Tukur ahead of the National Executive Council (NEC) billed for Thursday in Abuja.
President Goodluck Jonathan presided over the crucial meeting which was also attended by Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Tony Anenih and Governor Godswil Akpabio of Akwa Ibom and his Katsina state counterpart, Ibrahim Shema.
Vice President Namadi Sambo told State House correspondents after the meeting which lasted for about three hours that it had been adjourned till Wednesday by 6.00 pm.
Prompt News Online however, gathered that party stalwarts that attended the meeting were blunt in asking the national chairman to resign so that the party can chart the way forward.
Mr. Tukur, who had earlier in the day addressed a press conference, insisting that he would not quit was also said to have resisted the attempt by caucus members to compel him to quit.
However, he was said to have agreed to turn in his resignation letter when it was glaring that virtually all the party chieftains at the meeting wanted him out.
When the caucus meeting reconvenes on Wednesday evening, Mr. Tukur is expected to come with his resignations letter that will be presented to the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday.
There has been reported sharp division within the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party with majority of national officers said to be against Mr. Tukur and pressuring him to resign.
Also on Tuesday, 30 state chairmen of the PDP rose from a meeting at Utako District in Abuja, demanding for the resignation of the national chairman, Mr. Tukur.
The chairmen were said to have prepared a communiqué that will be presented to the National Caucus, National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC) on Thursday.
Those present at the caucus meeting were the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekwerenmadu, Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba, House Leader Mulikat Akande and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim.
Also in attendance were former National Chairman, Ahmadu Ali; Deputy National Chairman, Uche Secondus; National Women Leader, Kema Chikwe; former Deputy Chairman, Bode George; Secretary, Board of Trustees, Walid Jubril; Minister of Transport, Idris Umar; Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke; Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Prompt News Online recalls that one of the key demands of the then seven ‘rebel governors’, G7 before five of them defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), was that Mr. Tukur should quit as he was accused of running a ‘one-man show’.
