PDP denies rift between Anenih, Tukur

The Peoples Democratic Party has denied an alleged rift between the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, and the National Working Committee led by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisah Metuh, described the group, Forum for Equity and Justice said to have made the allegation as “meddlesome interlopers and political jobbers with no fixed address”.
He said the group was commissioned to bring up controversies to portray an atmosphere of crisis between the party’s BPT Chairman and the NWC.
Metah said the BoT and the NWC of the party were determined and committed to give the expected leadership of the PDP.
The PDP spokesman, who said the group was working at cross purposes with the NWC membership,  dismissed the claim that the BoT chairman, had usurped the functions of the NWC.
He explained the reconciliatory tours embarked by the Anenih- led BoT was carried out to complement the earlier tours by the NWC which according to him had been yielding fruitful results.
He said, “The leadership of the party reiterates that the Chief Tony Anenih led-BoT has in no way usurped the functions of the NWC. His reconciliatory visits complement the reconciliation and consolidation tours embarked by the NWC and they have been yielding desired results.”
Meanwhile, Forum for Equity and Justice had earlier appealed Anenih to stop performing the functions of the party’s National Chairman.
The group also urged the BoT Chairman to allow Tukur do the job he was elected to do
In a statement by its National Co-ordinator, Mr. Entangle Ayelabowo, on Tuesday, the group said  Anenih should know that his duty as the chairman of the  BoT was to offer advice.
According to the group, the tour being embarked by Anenih and members of his team to the governors unnecessary and capable of further polarising the party.
It said, “Though as the chairman of BoT, we understand that he needs to be acquitted with happenings in the party. But his visits to the governors before his election and after his election at Abuja are enough for him to know the feelings of the governors concerning the crisis rocking the party.
“He does not need to embark on clandestine visits to the governors. The visit is already causing tension in the party as there are those who have the notion that the Anenih team is usurping the functions of the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, led by Tukur.
“We appeal to him to shelve further visits, more so when he is not reporting his findings to the national leadership of the party.”