By Taye Obateru, Jos
Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State has pledged the backing of the state for the aspiration of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Receiving the aspirant who was in the state yesterday, Jang said Tukur was the best candidate as he stood heads above other candidates in the race.

”Tukur is our candidate for the PDP Chairmanship”, he said  adding, “other aspirants also have great qualities but you have greater qualities than them. You are more mature, you are detribalized and you are not a religious bigot.”
The governor said that after he took over  from Tukur as military governor of Gongola State after his (Tukur’s) brief tenure as civilian governor was truncated, he saw the good plans he had for the state.

He decried the craze for money by some party leaders in the recent past noting that Tukur was not after money and had the qualities to provide purposeful leadership  needed to unite and reposition the party.

According to him, “You are a father and because we have so many fathers in PDP, we need a father like you as the National Chairman who will be able to sit down and talk with them,” Jang said.

Tukur said earlier, that he was in the state to receive the governor’s blessing as a founding member of the party and to solicit his assistance to sell his candidature to other PDP governors.

”Please, I want you to ensure that Plateau and delegates form other states are directed to elect me so as to bring our party back to the part of old because it is presently nose-diving. The PDP was conceived and birthed here in Plateau, so no one who intends to lead the party can afford to undermine the strategic place that the state holds in the history of the party”, he pleaded.