Step down now, ACN tells Bamanga Tukur

Abuja -The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has asked the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to step down immediately following his son’s indictment in the fuel subsidy scam.

The party made the call in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, a copy of which was made  in Abuja.

Signed by its its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the statement said that Tukur’s resignation was important to “relieve him of the huge moral burden” placed on him by his continued stay in office.

According to the statement, the fuel subsidy scam trial will be held in two courts — the court of law and the court of public opinion.

“While Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is not facing any charges in the court of law over the scam, he is definitely a star suspect in the court of public opinion.

The party noted that many Nigerians were already insinuating that nothing would come out of the trial, especially as far as Tukur’s son was concerned, it said.

The statement said that Tukur’s son’s indictment was an allusion to the influence bestowed upon him by his high office.

”While we have nothing but absolute confidence in the ability of the judicial process to ensure justice, we believe that anything than can reinforce  the impression of thwarted justice in the fuel subsidy scam trial should be removed.

“Alhaji Bamangar Tukur’s continued stay in office is one of such.”

It said that Tukur’s continued stay in office was inimical to efforts to clean up the tainted sector.

The party recalled its consistent warning, while the controversy over fuel subsidy removal raged, that the government should not punish ordinary Nigerians by increasing fuel prices.

“The ordinary Nigerian is today paying N97 per litre of fuel because of the corruption in which he or she is not involved.” it said. (NAN)