The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, yesterday declared that anyone who fails to produce the membership card of the party will henceforth be denied ministerial appointment.
“No minister will get cleared without the party card; you must be a card carrying member, you pay your dues, we know you, the people know you, the governor knows you and you are registered and known in your ward. Let us have a disciplined party; we must move from the ordinary to what is better,” he said.
Tukur, who was apparently angry that ministers from the North-East shunned the zonal meeting held in Bauchi yesterday, warned that there must be total loyalty from members to the party.
He reiterated that the party is supreme and bigger than any individual irrespective of the status.
He was responding to comments made by the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) that politicians work before and during elections and at the end of the day, those who become ministers were non-party members with no loyalty to the PDP.
Ningi also said that key ministerial slots were being enjoyed by non politicians.
Tukur said that people must register at their various wards as party members for identification for appointments.
He said: “We must be loyal, we must support our party; we must show commitment to our party, our leaders and leaders of the party. We are here to appeal to you that we must put our differences behind us, we should resolve our problems, differences and we must continue to serve our people. We have a very beautiful manifesto.”
The meeting took place at the Bauchi State Government House with Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi, Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe, Acting governor of Taraba, Garba Umar and the deputy governor of Adamawa State in attendance.
Besides some senators and stakeholders present at the meeting, ministers were conspicuously absent at the zonal town hall meeting.
The North East has Ministers of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed; Transport, Senator Idris Umar; Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina; Finance (State), Yerima Ngama; Agriculture (State), Bukar Tijani; Niger Delta, Dahiru Ishaku (State); Ali Pate, Health (State).
Besides the ministers, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; former Minister of Education, Senator Jubril Aminu; Governor Murtala Nyako, Senator Danjuma Goje, Adamu Muazu, Jolly Nyame, Mohammed Bello Kirfi, among others were absent.
Ministers were also absent in Port Harcout during the South-South meeting, just as only the Minister of State, Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada was present at the South-West meeting held last Friday in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, while only the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo was present at the South-East meeting held last weekend.
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