PDP Chair: Bamanga Tukur Dismisses Age Critics

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chairmanship aspirant, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has said that he remains the most experienced to lead the party at the next national convention.

The PDP is expected to elect new officers into its National Working Committee (NWC) next month, following the expiration of the present NWC’s tenure, precisely on March 8, 2012.

At a press conference at the weekend in Abuja, the President, African Business Roundtable, frowned at fellow aspirants who were using his age as the only object of criticism, stressing that as far as he was concerned, he remained the most ideal candidate to bring the party members and stakeholders together and begin the rebuilding process early enough for the next general election in 2015.

Bamanga Tukur, who reminded his critics that past elected PDP chairmen under the age of 65 had been forced out of their tenure one way or the other, said as a founding member of the Party and former member of its BOT, he knows and understands the dreams and objectives of the party.

‘’ As an older person, Bamanga Tukur’s ambition is expected to be calculative and limited in his ambition as compared to any younger Turk eyeing the post of national chairmanship of the Party that would be required to amicably work with the President and National Assembly.

“A matured and experienced Party National Chairman will be the best referee who can be seen to be fair and can command enough respect to make both sides sheath their swords. As a former founding member of the PDP and former member of the BOT , Bamanga Tukur knows and understands the dreams and objectives of the party,” he stated.

Further on his experience, he said,  the world was facing critical economic and security challenges, Nigeria and indeed Africa even more so. Tukur argued that his extensive international contacts and recognition as the current President of African Business Roundtable (ABR), Presidential Economic Adviser to some African nations, a trusted and reliable counsel to the United Nations, America and EU, fits the profile Nigeria needs to promote her economic plans and political agenda. Furthermore he said that his proven record as an administrator and a statesman qualified him to be the leader of the largest political party in Africa.
He adjoined the North