Former Nigeria President, Olusegun Obasanjo has resigned his chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) – three months ahead of the expiration of his single five-year tenure. He resigned Tuesday in a letter dated April 3, 2012 and addressed to the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. As the chairman of the PDP BoT since 2007, Obasanjo’s tenure was expected to end in July 2012. He became BoT chairman under controversial circumstances after he displaced former chairman, Chief Anthony Anenih. His assumption of office was as a result of the amendment of the party's constitution which reserved the position for former presidents produced by the party. As he was the only former president, he automatically assumed the office. As a result of the crisis, the PDP in October 2009 amended the party’s constitution, removing the controversial clause of reserving the position for former presidents. In a letter he personally signed, former President Obasanjo said: “I have formally sent in my letter of resignation as the Chairman of BOT of PDP to the National Chairman of the party as prescribed in the party’s constitution.” It was gathered that he handed another letter to President Goodluck Jonathan. In the letter of resignation, he said: “I have formally requested the President to allow my bowing out and to issue a short statement to that effect. “By relieving myself of the responsibility for chairmanship of BOT of PDP, I will have a bit more time to devote to the international demand on me." He said the step would give him time “to give some attention to mentoring across the board nationally and internationally in those areas that I have acquired some experience, expertise and in which I have something to share”. Though, the newly elected Secretary of the BoT, Senator Jubril Walid, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s resignation, a source from the office of the national chairman of PDP said Tukur had received the letter. According to the source, "with this development, the BoT will summon an emergency meeting, where the matter would be discussed and a replacement made", but the source did not state when the board would meet.