BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI

ILORIN— The political ambition of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur  to become the national chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at its forthcoming convention, received  a boost in Ilorin, yesterday, when the state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed and Senator Bukola Saraki declared their support for  him.

Gov. Ahmed,  while receiving  the entourage of Tukur at  Government House, expressed the hope that he will bring his wealth of experience to bear on the fortunes of PDP if he emerges the national chairman.

He assured Tukur of the support of people of the  state.

Saraki said Tukur’s  candidate was a sacrifice by him to help in the transformation of the party due to his wealth of experience as a successful politician and businessman.

Senator Saraki, who described the PDP in Kwara State as a family, said the party needed a national chairman of Alhaji Tukur’s caliber to transform the party for the challenges ahead.

The former governor also said  that if Nigeria must get it right, it has to be through the PDP because of its widespread of membership which included matured people like Bamanga Tukur. He assured him of total support from the State.

Earlier, Alhaji Tukur, said the exalted office of the Party’s chairman at this auspicious moment is for the ‘daddies’ and not for green horns.

“The Party”, according to Tukur, “needs some one who is not looking for a job, but a person with sufficient experience, matured, honest, integrity and intellectual balance to restore peace, unity, discipline and support the transformation agenda of the federal government”.

Alhaji Turkur who was received with fun-fair, said his interest in the National Chairmanship of the party was borne out of the desire to consolidate the party’s achievements and restore hope.