A former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has retired from partisan politics.
Alhaji Tukur said he was leaving politics for the younger generation having served in various capacities as a politician, and preferred to be an elder statesman and adviser.
Speaking at his 80th birthday anniversary on Tuesday at his residence in Abuja, Tukur, a former governor of the defunct Gongola state said his doors are open to all politicians, businessmen and women and all other Nigerians who may wish to seek his advice on issues bothering on politics and business.
Tukur said that he had added value to governance in the country and advised politicians to play politics as a game.
According to Tukur, he was a victim of dictatorship and had decided to join forces with like-minded democrats to press for democratic republicanism leading to the formation of the PDP.
As one of the founders and foundation members of the PDP, the former party chairman said he had introduced sanity in the party, internal democracy, party discipline and supremacy.
“I deem it fit to use this opportunity of my 80th birthday celebration to announce my retirement from partisan politics. It is time to say goodbye to formal politics. I have used several political platforms to serve my country. It is time to rest. I leave partisan politics for the younger generation.
“I want to be a statesman and an adviser. At the age of 80, I feel I can serve our dear nation more in the capacity of a statesman and father figure. I want Nigeria to be truly great in line with the dream of her founding fathers in my life time.
“In politics, I wish to state with humility that I was among those who midwifed this republic. I participated fully in all the talks and discussions about the return of democracy to Nigeria,” he said.
Tukur, an Adamawa State born politician, explained that because of the long years of military rule in Nigeria, Nigerian politicians have not yet internalised and applied the principle of internal party democracy, expressing optimism that with time, party democracy will be entrenched in political parties system. This he said will strengthen democracy in the country.
Tukur called on political parties to work hard in order for them to have concrete ideologies and curtail the unmitigated defections in the system.
The President African Business Rountable (ABR) also called on Nigerians to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that it succeed.
Tukur said for Nigeria to move forward, there must be peace and harmonious working relationship among the three organs of government; the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary.
He warned that all hands must be on deck to ensure that dividends of democracy trickle down to the common man in the street, “the proverbial hewers of wood and drawers of water”, adding that Nigeria has all the requisite indices to be great.
One of the guest lecturers and Vice President ECOWAS Commission Dr. Toga Mackintosh lamented the inability of Africa to forge formidable integration to be a relevant player at the world state.
He said Africa will have to overcome obstacles and build critical mass to build vision and conducive government and policy environment.
