Twenty-three governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have agreed that the embattled National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has to step aside for peace to reign in the party.

Authoritative sources in both factions of the PDP disclosed that the decision on having Tukur leave the reins of the party had been mutually agreed on by governors on both sides.

Two governors from both factions confirmed the decision but asked not to be named.

Tukur’s fate may be sealed at tomorrow’s meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and governors of the Abubakar Baraje led faction at the presidential villa, Abuja.

According to the sources, President Jonathan’s inner caucus of friends had also impressed it on him “to let go” of Tukur in view of the “needless tension his actions and inactions were causing him and the polity

“He was told the plain truth that he needed a break from the tension in the polity generated by the crisis in his party. In particular, it was impressed on him that Tukur’s leadership of the party was doing more harm to the administration than good and he should hands off the issue of keeping Tukur at the helms of the PDP.

“From the body language of the president, he appeared to have agreed with the governors. Sunday’s meeting with the rebel governors is likely to advance that course of action. The question now is just when Tukur would go,” the source added.

It was also gathered that some of the governors loyal to the president have told him to “look beyond the fact that Tukur’s wife is an Ijaw from Bayelsa State” and consider the larger interest of the nation, the party and his own 2015 re-election plans.

“Indeed, I can tell you that members of the president’s kitchen cabinet have commenced shopping for a replacement for Tukur with a number of accomplished politicians from the North-Eastern part of the country being considered. Some other stakeholders are also involved in the search for the new chairman that would be acceptable to all sides in the crisis,” the source said.

In another development, A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday turned down a request brought by the Bamanga Tukur’s faction of the PDP against Abubakar Baraje’s faction seeking an interim order of maintaining the status quo pending when the substantive suit would be heard.

Tukur had on Thursday asked the court to grant the order pending the determination of the suit he brought seeking to restrain the Abubakar Baraje’s faction from parading itself as the recognised faction of the party.

Delivering ruling, however, the presiding judge, Justice E. S. Chukwu, held that he did not observe any tardiness on the part of the new faction as claimed by the Bamanga Tukur-led faction.

The court also consolidated the application challenging its jurisdiction and the substantive suit. It also held that it did not notice any negligence on the part of the new faction in filing its processes and entering an appearance against the position of the Tukur side.

The judge later adjourned till September 20 for hearing of the substantive suit.

•Story pieced together from two separate Tribune reports. Photo shows Alhaji Tukur.

Update news